On the Edge
by SDWilson
Summary: When the Great Rift opened, the Noctis Aeterna fell over half the Imperium and new heroes were called upon to save Humanity. In this time of despair the Rogue Trader Tariq al Tiri, Legendary Master and Commander of the Astra Bellum, traversed the dark void of the Imperium Nihilus with his companions, righting wrongs and defeating the enemies of the Imperium. This is his story.
1. Ch1 PMS E1 The Warning scene 1

**A/N 1 This is sort of a "pilot" mini-series to a new series that I've started. It is four "episodes" long (5 "scenes" each w/the 4th "episode" having 6 "scenes") and sets the stage for the upcoming series. The "pilot" is completely written minus some minor editing. So, I'll probably post them once every 1 or 2 weeks.**

**A/N 2 This story is a little lighter than most in the grimdark of the Imperium Nihilus.**

969.999.M41  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Mache sector  
Mozhel system  
Ozmand underhive on Mozhel Prime

The surface of Mozhel Prime was dominated by human habitation. The hive planet was, in fact, so dominated by human habitation that little else covered its surface. There were several hive cities with their countless spires reaching into the sky, metropolises so massive as to cover nearly entire continents. These hives' massive industrial outputs fed the coffers of the Imperium of Man's Departmento Munitorum just as their smokestacks filled the world with poisons and vapors, a fact which made walking outside the hives' closed arcologies dangerous to man and beast alike. Ozmand Hive was the most massive city of Mozhel Prime and just as its spires stretched into the sky, its seedy bottom reached far below its surface.

A rat sat upright on its haunches in the darkness of a large, but empty, drain way in the passage. The rat did not appear so different from those it was descended from whose origins dated back to Holy Terra itself, but many generations in the darkness had led to its evolution. Now it could see where its ancestors would have been blind. It held a piece of refuse in its two forepaws and sniffed closely, hoping to have discovered a morsel of food which had worked its way down through the waste system.

The rat froze in place, sensing something. Its head twitched to the side, hearing something too faint for a human to hear then turned its head to the ground and stared as if feeling something under its paws. A slight hum grew until it filled the air. The rat looked around nervously, then turned to move from the center of the drain.

But it turned too late.

The hum grew into twin roars and the vibration became twin rumbles. Something moved like lightning through the darkness and ended the rat's life as it passed by and turned the rodent into mush. Not one something, but two somethings moving through the darkness. On they raced, side by side, even as the dark passage opened up into a lit chamber of cavernous proportions that raised above and around the drain way.

On the left was a short and squat motorbike. It's black plasteel body had great red flames and carried a rider of similar build and stature. The short and squat rider was dressed in red common synth-leather and topped by a red open-faced helmet. An open-faced helmet that revealed a goggled face that was rounded and had a big nose. A long auburn beard descended from his chin where it split in two and was blown back over each shoulder. The deep roar of the bike filled the chamber as well as the drain.

On the right was a leaner motorbike whose plasteel frame was a deep blue that contrasted with the bike's shining chrome coloured plasteel powertrain and wheels. The rider was tall, slender, and dressed from head to toe in black leather, real leather instead of the synthetic type. His face was hidden beneath a black helmet with a mirrored visor. The bike did not roar like the other, but hummed instead.

As the two bikes emerged into the chamber their respective roar and hum grew in volume and each accelerated. The leaner blue and chrome bike pulled ahead. Down the sunken drain way, the two motorbikes raced, with the blue and chrome steadily leaving the red and black behind.

And they headed into a crowd of people and canines gathered in the drain way.

People ran or dove for safety as the blue and chrome motorbike streamed into the crowd, without hitting a one, and crossed the white line marking the race's finish. The canines were faster than the people and were never in any danger. Though its trailing distance was considerable, the black and red crossed behind nearly instantaneously with the winner due to its speed and just as nearly hit a number of fleeing pedestrians too.

Tires squealed as their brakes locked and each bike half-spun around as it came to a stop. The riders sat motionless with their feet holding their bikes upright and idling.

The crowd began to gather round the two riders and their bikes and several of the canines howled before following their human masters. More people began climbing over the sides and down into the drain way alongside the others. Most were humans of countless shapes and sizes. Some were covered in synth-leather and some half-naked, exposing countless tattoos and copper-coloured skin. Most of those sporting tattoos shared the image of a hatchet, marking them as members of the Balts, one of the most ruthless gangs of Ozmand underhive. Many of these were visibly armed too. Some with autoguns or shotguns. Others with autopistols. Others were not so human. They were short and squat like the rider of the losing motorbike, dressed in black synth-leather jackets with varying pieces of red clothing: fabric skull caps, armbands, and the like. They had mostly brown and auburn hair with some blonde mixed in. Most of the men sported long beards too, some unkempt, but many kept neat and together by beard rings. Some had axes and most sported firearms of some sort. They were the strain of abhumans known as Squats.

One Squat stood apart from the others as he made his way down the steep slope of the side of the drain way.

The Squat was very short like the others, but even thicker, and his muscles rippled beneath his red jacket and black pants, both made from real leather. He had blue eyes and his long brown hair reached overtop his ears but was covered by a red skullcap. A long auburn beard, contrasting with his brown hair, covered his chin and was divided into four separate strands by four beard rings, one to mark each decade he had held title of Patriarch in his Squat clan.

As the Patriarch made his way down the side, each biker set the kickstand on his respective bike and hopped off. The two then shook hands, with the slender rider in black towering over the Squat in red. On the back of the human's jacket was the image of the slender head of a copper-haired hound. He removed his black helmet with its mirrored visor and tucked it under his left arm. The biker had a youthful copper-skinned face with green eyes and a black fabric skull cap covering his shaved head.

"Damn it, Tariq!" the Patriarch yelled as he reached the bottom and walked toward the bikers. "One of these times, one of my clan will beat you." The patriarch paused, then added, "Til then, I hate your guts." He reached a gloved hand out to the copper-skinned biker.

Tariq reached down with his own gloved hand to take the Patriarch's hand and shook it firmly. "You don't hate me, Max. You love me. You need me," he said with a laugh.

"I guess I love to hate you," Max retorted and laughed.

"Every time I beat you, your artisans go back and make their work better." Tariq smiled and added, "Heck, I think maybe the Zundapp clan should pay me for the privilege of racing against me." Tariq glanced to his side at the rider he had beaten. "Kelvi here has gotten a lot better since the last time I raced him. I'm not sure how much longer my streak is going to last."

Kelvi glanced at Max then back to Tariq. "Not immediately," he said with a laugh. "Me and Pa got something new to work on."

"Oh, what's that?" Tariq asked and glanced back and forth between the two Squats.

"I might let you see it," Max said with a laugh. "Something a little bit heavier than these two bikes." He smiled again. "I might even let you get a look at its schematics."

"Now, you've got me interested," Tariq answered. "Is this a contract you're working for me as a part of al Tiri Industries or is this one of your…independent projects?"

"Independent," Max answered.

As the Squat spoke, Tariq looked over his shoulder to see a trio of humans walking toward him, then turned fully around to face them. One was a heavily-muscled and gargantuan human who was black-skinned with a full beard but a shaved head. He was dressed in black leathers and black boots and had an auto-shotgun hanging on his shoulder by a sling. On either side of him was a young lady. The one on his left was short and curvy and dressed in similar attire with long curly black-hair and olive-coloured skin while sporting a laspistol on her hip. On the man's right was a tall and slender woman in a very short blue dress which fit like body glove armour. She wore blue boots which came up over her knees. The woman's long straight blonde hair reached down to her waist.

The blonde stepped ahead of the other two and put her arms around Tariq's neck, then kissed him on the lips.

"You and me are going to be occupied tonight," Tariq whispered to her. She smiled in response. He glanced at the other two and said, "Sho, Mal, good to see you here."

"Likewise, boss man," said the gargantuan human. "Sho here had some questions for you," he added with a laugh.

Tariq glanced into the dark eyes of the shorter girl and asked, "What is it dear?"

She glanced at the girl on his arm and smirked in response. "They've been working double shifts for fifteen straight days to reach the manufacturing tithe requirements on time. Now what?"

"Bring everyone in as scheduled," he answered as his eyes darted for a split-second to the woman on his arm. Sho frowned at him. "And tell them to bring their families in too so that we can complete the tithe manufacturing requirements on time."

A puzzled look came over Sho's face, then she smiled. "I get it."

A fire lit in Mal's eyes. "But you said," he started harshly until Sho's hand touched his. He momentarily glanced at her and then glared back at Tariq.

"Sho, why don't you get Mal to help you with the manning hours schedule for tomorrow."

A look of confusion came over Mal's face.

"Come on, Mal," Sho said. "I think this is work you will excel at," she added as she began to pull on his arm. The big man reluctantly allowed her to drag him away.

At that moment a sound filled the air and everyone stopped moving.

It was the deep roar of a motorbike, a big one. It grew louder and the air reverberated in response.

Tariq glanced at Max.

"That's what I was telling you about," the Squat added with a smile. "They call him the Molossian."

Tariq pulled away from the arms of the blonde woman beside him and ran up the steep side of the drain way as the sound grew into thunder. Mal had left Sho behind too and ran beside him. They both crested the drain way at the same time.

Approaching them was an enormous bike and its roar became the slow roll of thunder as it approached. The bike was black with chrome headers and with very wide tires. It was armed with twin heavy bolters mounted up front. And the bike was plated in heavy armour and a cowl covered the front tire and spread round the handlebars. An armoured side car was attached to its left side with a multi-melta mounted in front. But none of that held Mal's and Tariq's eyes for more than a moment.

Their eyes fixed on the rider.

He was a man who made Mal look small, only he wasn't a man. His power armour was black as night with a great golden Imperial Aquila on his chest. His right shoulder pauldron was entirely devoid of markings and heraldry but his left shoulder pauldron had an enormous High Gothic numeral in gold, an "I" with three bars crossing it and a skull-and-crossbones over the bars. The lower half of his helmet was a giant vox-grille which looked akin to having a train plow for a jaw.

The rider was a space marine.

Max climbed out of the drain and stopped by Tariq. "That's my independent project," he said. "That's not my client though. My client's an Inquisitor. You never would have guessed that, would you?"


	2. Ch2 PMS E1 The Warning scene 2

970.999.M41  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Mache sector  
Mozhel system  
Ozmand Hive on Mozhel Prime  
Headquarters of al Tiri Industries

The next day…

The hallway was white-walled with a rockrete floor and filled with light. Most locations within the hive cities on Imperial worlds rarely found themselves awash in so much light but some places did and those places were controlled directly by the planet's nobles. Sho and Mal walked side by side down the well-lit hallway. She wore a simple black business suit and boots while he was wearing a flak coat which obscured any weapon that he may have been carrying beneath it.

Each simply stared at Tariq floating in front of them as they walked down the hall.

The copper hound head on the back of Tariq's blue greatcoat matched that which was on his black leather jacket of the night before. Instead of riding boots, he wore metal combat boots which were locked in place to a blue board he was standing on, a board which looked like a device that natives would use to ride waves on some ocean pleasure world that nobles might visit. And it moved like it was in water too, though sluggishly. Tariq swung his hips back and forth to tack the board a bit from side to side as it slowly made its way over the white floor.

"Such a truly astounding instrument of war, you have created Lord Tariq," Mal said with mockery in his voice.

"I'm glad you think so," Tariq snapped back. "I made some modifications to the grav-chutes we produce for the Mozhel drop regiments and their drop walkers." Tariq continued tacking as he spoke. "In layman's terms, the grav-chutes have emitters which generate a field that counteracts gravity. I've managed to tweak the emitters to allow locomotion in addition to breaking a fall." The board stalled and fell to the floor.

"Truly impressive," Sho added with her own snark.

"I just need a better power supply," Tariq countered as he lifted the board into his hands. "I remember Orlok once saying that the Storm Shields used by the space marines used generators that emitted a grav-field to stop blows. I bet if I could attach a similar power supply, my board would fly through the air like a bird. I might even be able to have it double as a storm shield."

"Is there a record of any archeotech like that we can pretend we found?" Sho asked. "You think we can convince Magos Orlok that it is some standard template archeotech we dug up in the underhive like we did with your other projects?"

"I think Tariq can convince that crazy Tech-Priest of anything," Mal added.

"Ah, the big coghead's not so bad," Tariq added as he placed the board over his shoulder and kept walking. "Those training data modules my grandfather uncovered with the training reactor only covered the basics. A few well-placed questions here and there…Orlok's taught me a lot while talking aloud to himself, whether he realizes it or not."

"By the way, Mal," Tariq said. "Are you still mad at me for requiring everyone to come in today with their families after working so many hours to meet the tithe requirements ten days ahead of schedule?"

The big man laughed. "If you had just told me that they were coming in for a celebration party, I wouldn't have been mad."

"There are spies everywhere," Tariq said. "For all I know that broad in the blue dress I banged last night might have been one. Word get out to the governor and they'd have us picking up someone else's slack."

Mal nodded at Tariq's words.

At that moment, the three stopped in front of a large closed sliding door which marked the end of the hall.

"The office of the ancient and esteemed Magos Dominus himself, Orlok Brevik," Tariq announced. He reached his hand up to a small box on the wall and held his palm over it. After a short moment, the door rapidly slid to the right, exposing a small square chamber within.

The chamber was entirely empty save for an enormous figure in the middle which sat facing the far wall. The figure was dressed in red robes but was barely recognizable as human. Under the robes, an enormous chassis protruded from its back and from the chassis branched countless mechadendrites which extended through holes in the robes and hung motionless in the air. An enormous pincer mechadendrite raised straight up above the body while a long snake-like mechadendrite was plugged into a port in the far wall. Despite this, the back of the bald head appeared remarkably human with only a couple visible jacks surgically implanted into the skull.

"How long's it been since he left this room?" Mal asked as he looked over the motionless form in front of him.

"Thirty or forty years, give or take a few," answered Tariq.

"What's he do?" Mal asked. "Just sit and think?"

"The jack in the wall used to be directly networked with the manufactoria controls," Sho said. "I broke the connection and replaced it with a cogitator that masquerades as the controls."

"You what?" Mal asked in disbelief.

"I learned a little from the same training data modules that Tariq did," she answered with a smile. "Whenever Tariq comes up with something new that he wants to introduce to the Imperium at large, I feed some info into the cogitator to the effect that we discovered some archeotech or a template in the underhive." She paused, then added, "Works every time. Orlok then writes the reports that get sent off back to his forge world, some place called Beta Marani Secundus."

Tariq walked into the chamber toward the motionless Tech-Priest, followed by Mal and Sho. He raised his right arm and pulled up the sleeve of his greatcoat to reveal a small electrode protruding from his forearm. Tariq then raised his left arm and pressed the electrode.

The red form instantly swiveled round like a top and stopped, facing the three interlopers to its domain.

"Greetings, Lord Tariq al Tiri," a mechanical voice rang out in monotone from the form despite the mouth and lips not moving. "It is a pleasure to see you again."

"Likewise, Magos," Tariq answered.

"And I detect you are not alone," Orlok continued. "You are accompanied by one Shoshanna Rhothen, acting seneschal of House al Tiri and also accompanied by one unregistered male of no consequence."

"That's Malgo Sluka, my bodyguard," Tariq interrupted. "I thought you registered him," Tariq added as he turned to Sho.

"So, did I," she answered with a shrug. "His wiring and protocols are old. Perhaps the data was overwritten."

"I prefer it this way," Mal interjected.

"We've brought the results of the preliminary tests," Tariq said to the Magos. Orlok's head swiveled at the words, the first independent movement his body had made since they entered. "The machine spirits of the orbital manufactoria were invested with the plasma drive STC we uncovered. Twenty were manufactured and installed in Fury Interceptors. Half the size and twice the power," Tariq added. "all the data is in the modules Sho brought."

Orlok's head turned toward Sho and a small smile formed on his otherwise blank face. "Most excellent," he said. "Give them to me."


	3. Ch3 PMS E1 The Warning scene 3

973.999.M41  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Mache sector  
Mozhel system  
Alamonde Orbital Platform over Mozhel Prime  
Palace of the Planetary Governor

The Alamonde Orbital Platform circled high above the surface of Mozhel Prime with its hive cities and their manufactoria. It consisted of interconnected docks and rings which ran for kilometres and kilometres. Manufactoria of attack craft and dry docks for voidships consumed many of the kilometres of the orbital platform but not all. Alamonde Palace, home to Planetary Governor Isaac Shiir, filled a large section of the station. The Palace was considered by many to be one of the Imperial wonders of Segmentum Obscurus. Its gothic spires stretched into the void and it was a practical paradise to walk through with multiple arboreta and gardens spread throughout the palace which allowed its life sustainers to produce clean air that dwellers of the Mozhel hives could only dream of.

"I hate this..." Sho began, but was unable to finish and came to a stop. "Achoo!" she sneezed and sent droplets of water flying. "My nose." Tariq stopped alongside Sho and laughed. She gave him a stern look, then started walking again, leaving him behind. "I hate this place," she added.

"It is beautiful though," Tariq countered as they passed under the green branches of a small copse of trees which reached over the walkway of white hexagonal rockrete stones. Tariq noted the bright blast of light emanating from a lamp fastened to a branch and a power cable hidden along the branch's surface. "Heck, they don't even let branches get in the way of their lighting." _I bet they have a pict-corder there too_, Tariq thought. _Paranoia has been a long-time common trait of our Governors._ He looked around. Just past the copse, the white walls closed in again and the path ended where enormous dark wooden double doors were flanked on each side by a large bush with countless blue berries.

"I just wanna go back to the surface," Sho responded in her misery and sniffled again.

Tariq looked over Sho. She walked easily in a blue short dress with long sleeves where she normally wore leather pants. Matching blue sandals were on her feet where she normally wore leather boots. Tariq laughed to himself. _If she would relax a little, she might find this clothing a little more comfortable_, he thought. Then he had second thoughts as he considered his own attire. _Maybe not though. I hate this blue greatcoat. I'd rather wear a riding jacket any day._

At that moment, they reached the double doors and a guard stepped out from behind each bush. Each was dressed in blue carapace armour and helmet with a boltgun on his shoulder and chainsword at his side.

"State your name and business," said the one on the left.

"Lord Tariq al Tiri with his seneschal, Shoshanna Rhothen," Tariq responded. "We are here to meet with Governor Isaac Shiir, at his request."

The guard on the left held his hand over his ear for a moment, then said, "You may pass. The Governor awaits you within." Both guards stepped back into the bushes and the wooden double doors opened inward of their own accord. Within was a large white room and a dark wooden desk against the far wall with a man sitting behind it and an armed man standing beside it.

Tariq dismissed them both with but a thought.

He stepped in and walked straight toward the desk with Shoshanna right beside him. Tariq looked left and right at the decorations on the walls. Trophies memorializing the regiments supplied by Mozhel to the Imperium's war machine. The memorabilia from the regiments supplied by Mozhel to the Astra Militarum was mostly heraldry that consisted of blue fields covered with various configurations of silver stars and eagles. Tariq came to a stop and barely noticed the top of Sho's head out of the corner of his eye. A top that was much lower than normal. _She's kneeling_, Tariq shrugged to himself.

"Are you forgetting something?" asked the figure standing beside the seated man. He was tall and dressed in blue carapace armour with a power sword on his left hip and a bolt pistol on the other.

_Isaac's bodyguard Bartholomew Lassen, what a prick_, Tariq thought to himself before speaking aloud. He looked at Bart and smirked, then turned back toward the seated individual. "My bad, Guv. I was so overawed at the tributes to our noble forces that I didn't realize you were right here." Tariq noticed a small box on the desk in front of the Governor. It was of finely crafted wood and had a brass coloured lock holding closed the lid to it. _What's this? The Guv usually keeps his desk empty._ He sloppily dropped to his left knee and put his left hand on the handle of his own power sword hidden under his greatcoat and his right on the bolt pistol on his hip.

The man's face tightened with anger. It was an old and ugly face made uglier by treatments to tighten the skin which had grown thin and loose with age. Treatments that made his face look like a plastic mask. A plastic mask topped with white stringy hair. "You test me boy," the Governor said. "But today I am in a generous mood." He smiled a mirthless smile.

Alarms went off in Tariq's head at the Governor's words.

"Time and again your family's manufactoria have helped Mozhel achieve its tithe requirements," Isaac said. "Your crews have even uncovered the templates to two new patterns from our ancient past. A grav-chute pattern and a drop-walker pattern." He stopped for a moment and stared at Tariq. "Your discoveries have even caught the attention of Magos Explorator Micah Veridine who hails from Mars itself. There are even rumours you are currently testing a newly discovered template for plasma engines that fit into the Fury Interceptor."

"I have no idea what you are talking about," Tariq lied. The smile did not fade from Isaac's face. _Uh oh, that should have made him angry_.

"Others may consider your manners a disgrace…or even treasonous," the Governor said. "But not I. You and your family have been a tremendous asset to the Imperium. So much so in fact that I worked with Magos Veridine to lobby the High Lords of Terra so that you and your family will be properly rewarded."

The Governor paused and glanced down. Tariq followed the Governor's gaze down to the lone box on the desk. _I don't think I'm going to like this reward_, Tariq thought.

"So quiet?" the Governor asked. "No matter, I will tell you. The High Lords of Terra have seen fit to name you as Rogue Trader and have granted you a hereditary Warrant which spells out your rights and responsibilities. You have even been granted command and ownership of a cruiser, the _Astra Bellum_."

Tariq noticed Sho's gasp but kept his attention focused on the Governor.

"Go on," the Governor said with a smile. "Take it. It's yours. The Warrant within fully spells out your rights and responsibilities."

Tariq nervously reached forward and took the box into his hand, surprised by the weight contained within the small box.

"Of course, the Imperium long ago saw the danger in having planetary nobles who controlled Warp-capable voidships," Isaac added with glee. "So, your title of Lord within the Mozhel nobility is forfeit. As a result, although you retain ownership of al Tiri Industries, you lose ownership of all manufactoria and facilities located on Mozhel."

"I never realized how much you cared," Tariq said. "I always thought you wanted to get rid of me."

The Governor bristled at Tariq's words. "I did and I have finally achieved that but do not think me a dishonorable cur," Shiir answered. "Removal of your property rights will be done with just compensation. You will be allowed to equip some forces and take with you. Your vessel is being re-fueled and provisioned as we speak." The Governor's smile grew. "It was confiscated by the Imperial Navy after the Rogue Trader dynasty to which it was flagship met its end during the Occlusiad War and placed in orbital storage until shortages dictated otherwise. With the current troubles in Armageddon and Cadia, it was removed from storage and re-activated. Apparently, there was some trouble with it and they didn't think it worth their time. Even the Tech-Priests hate it." The Governor laughed, then added, "Now, the floating carcass is yours. I expect you will be present when Magos Veridine arrives to assume control of the manufactoria you will gracefully surrender to me over the next few days."

"Yes, your Governorship," Tariq promptly, and politely, responded. _A floating carcass? The Guv doesn't know me, does he._

The Governor tossed something through the air at Tariq. He snatched it into the palm of his right hand and then opened it back up to see what he held. A key. "Now, get out of my sight!" snapped the Governor.

Tariq and Sho simultaneously snapped to their feet. "For the Emperor!" they said in unison and then silently turned round to the exit. They crossed the threshold of the wooden double doors and passed the guards before either spoke.

Sho spoke first. "When that Magos gets to looking at our manufactoria and speaks with Orlok, we are going to be in trouble, aren't we?" Fear filled her eyes despite her calm face.

"Nope," Tariq responded. "It's all good. Just leave everything to me."

"I'm doomed," Sho dejectedly moaned.


	4. Ch4 PMS E1 The Warning scene 4

974.999.M41  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Mache sector  
Mozhel system  
onboard the _Astra Bellum_ in high orbit over Mozhel Prime

After receiving his Warrant, Tariq traveled with Sho to the spaceport of the Alamonde Orbital Platform and then caught a ride to the _Astra Bellum_ onboard an orbital freighter which was hauling supplies to the cruiser. The _Astra Bellum_ was a kilometres long ship of war with a landing bay on both its port and starboard sides. The freighter approached from the port side, revealing an open landing bay whose atmosphere was contained by a barely shimmering power field. It passed through the bay's protective field and then landed on the deck. Shortly thereafter, the freighter began unloading its cargo of provisions and humans.

Tariq and Sho walked out the orbital freighter's hatch and down the gangway leading to the deck of the landing bay. "First, we need to transfer our prototype Fury Interceptors to the _Astra Bellum_ immediately. Most importantly, we need to ensure all the pilots who participated in the tests are transferred too."

"Got it," Sho said as her fingers stroked the keys to the dataslate she carried in her hands.

"We also need to get Mal to talk the Balts into coming with us," Tariq said. "That'll practically give me a regiment of my own and they are good small arms smiths. We could use that while moving through the void." She continued recording his commands into her dataslate. "Of course, we'll need raw resources too." Tariq thought to himself for a moment. _How will we manage that?_

"Will do, Lord Tariq al Tiri, Rogue Trader of the Imperium." Sho laughed a bit as she finished. "I guess I can convince Mal to come with us…and the bring the Balts along."

"I'm sure you'll think of some way to do that," Tariq snapped back. Sho blushed but said nothing. "Give Max a call too. The Zundapp clan has a lot of pride and they don't like the Mechanicus too much. I don't think they will be too happy about the thought of some new Magos combing through their forges with his mechadendrites."

"Do you actually think they will leave though?" Sho asked.

"Maybe," Tariq answered. "My Warrant has the stipulation that my first action must be to ensure allegiance to the Imperium of the nearby settlements in G- IDF, the Galvon Interstellar Debris Field. I am to use force if necessary." Sho looked at him awaiting more info. "The Squats are a dying breed. Max has mentioned many times that a station there contains the only other clan of Squats that he's heard of. In fact, he's even received some contraband liquor from them before. I don't want things to go wrong and I'm sure he doesn't want things to either. I want his help."

"I'll set up a meeting with him," Sho answered. "Having another Squat clan to trade with would be very nice."

"You know what else I'm thinking?" Tariq asked Sho.

"No, but I'm sure you're going to tell me," she answered.

"Did you see that transport freighter for the 96th Siege and Support Regiment in the spaceport? That's what I'm thinking about," Tariq said. "They're equipped for battlefield salvage. That means a lot of tech and machines I'd like to get my hands on. Maybe I can requisition the regiment using my Warrant."

"Now, I understand," Sho said and sighed. "You want to requisition the Mozhel 96th Support Regiment. The all-female Mozhel 96th Support Regiment. It all makes sense now."

Tariq simply smiled at her in response. "I really want to get my hands on their equipment." Sho turned her head away and ignored him.

The two moved off the gangway and across the heavy traffic of power-lifters and transport vehicles, then began crossing the cavernous landing bay toward a trio of officers awaiting them. The height of one pale-skinned and slender officer made him stand out from the others. Shoulder pads fashioned into his deep green greatcoat made him appear more athletic than he actually was and his long black hair was tucked underneath a green tricorn hat. _Must be the interim Captain_, Tariq thought. _Martin Jacqueveka, if I recall correctly_. Tariq quickly dismissed the Captain as his eyes wandered to the woman on the officer's right. The young woman was slender and wiry with a short crop of black hair. Her green pants and shirt matched the hue of the clothing worn by the man she was standing beside. _Not bad, but pale too. Perhaps she's Martin's daughter_, Tariq quickly surmised. His eyes wandered to the woman on the Captain's right. She was not as tall as the other two but had a full head of long red hair. Curvy hips and ample breasts. High cheekbones…and a closed third eye on her forehead. _A Navigator_, Tariq thought. _Not bad though_. He glanced over at Sho without speaking.

She glanced over at him and frowned. "No. Don't even think it," she snapped. "You wouldn't, would you?"

"You know I would," Tariq answered with a smile. "In fact, maybe I will."

Sho shook her head in response.

After a few more steps, the two reached the officers and the interim Captain stepped forward. "I am Captain Martin Jacqueveka," he said. "I was named the interim Captain to command this vessel and transport it from the orbital storage docks of Marcellus IV." He reached out his hand to Tariq. "You must be the vessel's new Commander."

"I'm her owner too," Tariq answered as he shook Martin's hand. "My name is Lord Tariq al Tiri, owner of al Tiri Industries and newly named Rogue Trader of the Imperium." A thought flashed through his head. _I'm no longer a noble on an Imperial World but I'm a noble of the Imperium itself_. _Sounds good_. Tariq glanced to his left and said, "This is Shoshanna Rhothen, my seneschal."

"Pleased to meet you," Jacqueveka answered. "This here is my daughter and First Mate, Altira Jacqueveka," he added as he turned his open hand to the woman on his right. His pride in his daughter was evident in his voice. Altira snapped a quick and sharp salute which Tariq tried to follow but bobbled, making it appear more like a wave that touched his forehead. "She has interviewed for entry into Mozhel's Officer Candidate School of the Imperial Navy. We are awaiting the answer." The interim Captain turned to the three-eyed woman on his left. "And this is the Chief Navigator of the _Astra Bellum_, Mari Arnborn." She gave a small curtsy to Tariq.

"A pleasure to meet you," Tariq responded. "What brings you out here?"

Sho coughed, interrupting him.

Mari answered him, apparently oblivious to the obvious come on. "My clan mostly navigates the Halo Stars beyond Segmentum Obscurus, but we hold our allegiance to the Imperium foremost in our hearts," she said. "We regularly supply Navigators to the Imperium in general and the Navy in particular. My turn coincided with the re-activation of this vessel and I volunteered my service. I brought along a small number of my clan too."

"Excellent to know," Tariq answered. "Is this it?"

"Our Chief Astropath is visiting the Astropathic Choir Chambers of the Alamonde Orbital Platform," Martin said. "She said she had Imperial business to discuss there. I'm just the interim Captain, I don't question such things." Martin then looked over the large landing bay. "The Tech-Priests fixed this landing bay up pretty well but don't like the _Astra Bellum_ for some reason. Something about a sluggish machine spirit and the Navigator interfaces." He shrugged. "They left as soon as we docked but managed to fully restore the small-craft repair facility while en route." The Captain paused a moment and looked hard at Tariq. "Other than that, the vessel has a skeleton crew. It's your responsibility to man her. No other officers could be spared to be here at this moment as they are working hard to get this vessel in full working order. No one wants to enter the void, much less the Warp, in a derelict vessel."

"Are you looking to make this interim appointment permanent?" Tariq asked Martin. "I've need of someone with Captain's experience."

"No," Martin answered and then frowned. "Due to an…incident, I lost my Chartist Captain appointment. That's why I accepted this interim position. When Altira is accepted into Officer's Candidate School, I plan to remain here while she's in school. I'm tired of this life."

"Are all your officers and crew women?" Sho interjected out of the blue.

"No, not all. The Marcellus System has recently raised many regiments to support the ongoing strife in Segmentum Obscurus," Martin answered. "Unlike Mozhel, Marcellus IV isn't a hive world and they almost exclusively recruit men for their Imperial Guard and PDF regiments. That leaves a disproportionate number of women for Naval and Chartist positions."

Altira quickly added, "That, and my father likes women…a lot."

"I think you and I will get along just fine," Tariq said to the Captain.


	5. Ch5 PMS E1 The Warning scene 5

992.999.M41  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Mache sector  
Mozhel system  
Alamonde Orbital Platform over Mozhel Prime

The colossal orbital platform held much more than the famed Alamonde Palace. It also contained numerous orbital manufactoria. Among the manufactoria were those of the al Tiri Industries which produced Fury Interceptors as well as repair yards for voidships adjacent to the spaceport. In addition to this, the platform contained a massive interstellar communications center which connected the Mozhel system with the Imperium at large, the Astropathic Choir Chambers.

Within the confines of the Alamonde Orbital Platform was an enclosed avenue that consisted of a wide rockrete deck. It passed through the greater part of the platform, from older and dilapidated sections to those of the highest class, including the offices of the Adeptus Terra. From there, it passed a set of white marble steps which reached up to a columned deck, the chambers of the Mozhel Astropathic Choir. An unending stream of people passed by sporting various colours with a steady trickle of people making their way up and down the steps to the Choir chambers.

People stopped and turned their heads as thunder rolled down the avenue toward them. Following the thunder came its source, a black and chrome massive armoured motorbike with a car coupled to its side, an Adeptus Astartes attack bike. Piloting the vehicle was a space marine in black power armour whose left shoulder pauldron bore the heraldry of the Inquisition in gold- a high Gothic numeral "I" with three cross bars which were covered by a skull-and-crossbones. The lower half of his helmet was an enormous vox-grille that bore the uncanny resemblance to a train plow. It was the Molossian, the space marine who had arrived in the Ozmand underhive at the conclusion of the race between Tariq and Kelvi. In the side car rode a passenger who was barely visible behind the sidecar's lead armour plate and weaponry designed to be manned by a space marine. The passenger was in power armour of his own, though its size was dwarfed by that of the space marine beside him. The same golden symbol was emblazoned upon his armour's shoulder.

"Inquisitor Kaine, any instructions?" the space marine asked his passenger over his vox.

"None as of this moment, Molossus." The Inquisitor paused before adding more. "We must find the Astropath and question her before they do. And no, I don't know who 'they' is. That is all I have foreseen. Danger approaches the Imperium. Chaos is ascendant and has clouded my ability to foresee things."

A scream rang out. Followed by a shot. The stream of people froze in place. Fire exploded out around the top of the steps and the deck shook. The frozen people broke into frantic runs away from the chambers.

No words were exchanged between the Molossian and Inquisitor Kaine. The machine spirit of the attack bike roared in response to the space marine hitting its throttle and the bike accelerated through the crowd of people toward the steps as they dove left and right out of its way. Its wide front tire hit the lowest step and the bike quickly roared to the top and ramped, going airborne between the columns.

Smoke filled the deck and flowed around the columns but its presence did not slow the Molossian. The attack bike hit the deck and bounced hard, then accelerated straight ahead through the smoke and crashed through the double entry doors to the Astropathic Chambers. The bike bounced again as it rode overtop a person it had hit.

"Inquisitor Kaine, what can you tell me of our adversaries?" The voice was broadcast through the marine's vox-grille and across the air as he hopped over the front cowling of his attack bike and onto the deck. He held a bolt pistol in his right hand and a Morningstar in his left.

"I know nothing responded the Inquisitor," over his vox as he hopped out of the sidecar. One explosion was followed by another as the marine began firing his bolt pistol at shadowy figures running through the chamber. What remained of the figures fell to the deck. "That way!" screamed the Inquisitor as he pointed down a corridor. "Yu! Yu! Her name is Yu!" the Inquisitor screamed through his vox. "She is that way and they are hunting for her!"

The Molossian took off down the corridor through the smoke. A figure ran in front of him. One step, two steps. The morningstar crashed into the figure's head. The Molossian kept running without slowing as the corpse crumpled to the ground. Distant gunfire. His helmet's auspex detected the heat of an individual through the smoke as it moved around a corner ahead.

More gunfire. Shouts and screams. His auspex separated the voices from the other sounds. "Grab her! Now!"

The Molossian turned the corner and ran down the corridor. He jumped to a stop at an open doorway on his right and turned to the door.

Two cultists stood within the room, on the near side of a desk. One in red robes and the other appearing as a medicae adept with a syringe in his hand. Each turned his head toward the doorway the Molossian was standing in and froze. A step through the door and an overhead swing of the morningstar smashed the head of the medicae adept like a melon. Before the other could move, the Molossian brought the morningstar back across his body and slammed it into the torso of the second, sending him through the air and against the bulkhead. He crumpled to the ground.

A whimpering came from behind the desk.

"Stand up, Yu," commanded the Molossian.

The whimpering continued. Not wasting time, the space marine tossed the desk out of the way. A tall and slender woman with long black hair and wearing a blue dress lay crumpled on the ground. She was pale-skinned and her almond shaped eyes were completely white, marking her as being soul-bound to the Emperor. "The Blackness is coming," she whimpered. "Take me to the Null Bay. Please. Take us all to the Null Bay."

Without wasting time, the Molossian reached down, picked her up, and tossed her over his left shoulder. He turned around and readied his bolt pistol then exited the small room.

"Inquisitor Kaine," he said over his vox. "Target acquired. Returning to entrance."

"Take me to the Null Bay," cried the Astropath again as they started down the corridor.

Two figures rounded the corner in a run and came to a stop, nearly falling over top one another as they saw the Molossian. Two shots from his bolt pistol and their lower torsos fell to the deck with nothing attached up top. He stepped over their corpses and turned the corner.

The Molossian took aim at a figure down the corridor but held his fire. "Inquisitor Kaine," he said. "She is here, but does not appear mentally stable."

"Please," whimpered the Astropath. "The Blackness is coming. Take me to the Null Bay."

"The Astropath is mentally stable enough to ask for sequestration within the Null Bay," said the Inquisitor as he reached the Molossian. "Her words sound like a foretelling and those cultists want her for something. We will take her to the Null Bay. The Lamonde Enclave which guards it is small and the Sisters have been very busy gathering psykers from the planet's surface, but I have no doubt they can hold against whatever these cultists may marshal in the coming days." The Inquisitor moved a small latch on his gauntlet. A cover opened to reveal a small keypad.

"As you command Inquisitor," answered the Molossian. The Astropath's cries subsided into mere whimpers.

"The Governor's forces have arrived, so the Chambers will be secured shortly," Inquisitor Kaine added as he began entering data into the keypad on his wrist. "It seems Yu just arrived in this system as the Chief Astropath onboard a cruiser requisitioned for a newly named Rogue Trader, the _Astra Bellum_. How interesting."

**The End**

**of**

**The Warning**

**Episode 1 of the 4 part pilot mini-series to On the Edge**

**A/N This has been posted Sunday evening 09-01-19 and Episode 2 of the pilot should be out in a week.**


	6. Ch6 PMS E2 The Blackness Arrives scene 1

**A/N Posted a few days early just in case I lose internet access due to Hurricane Dorian. As of now, Turf War, Part 3 of the four part "pilot" mini-series will be posted Sunday September 15th.**

993.999.M41  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Mache sector  
Mozhel system  
Alamonde Orbital Platform over Mozhel Prime

The Nobles Quarters within the Alamonde Orbital Platform did not share the fame of the Alamonde Palace but had its beauty too. However, closer to the platform's spaceport, the shops and lodgings were not so elegant, even those rented out to the wealthier clients. Some of them were downright slum-like in appearance. One such lodgings was named the Mache Titan and Tariq had chosen it as his sleeping quarters after having lost the ability to rent a suite within the Nobles Quarters.

Tariq stood in his boxers and flexed in front of the narrow mirror, admiring his own abs and the MIU installed in his forearm. He glanced aside at the narrow, unmade bed. It was empty save for an open black clothes bag with a shoulder strap. _She got up before I did_, he said to himself sadly. _I'm usually able to get out before they get up_. He momentarily listened to the sound of running water coming from behind the closed bathroom door. Curiosity got the best of him and he walked over to the bag. _Let's see what she's got here_, he said to himself as he reached inside.

First, he pulled out a black one-piece suit which looked as if it would fit as tight as a glove on a woman's body. _Damn_, Tariq thought. _I wish I'd seen what's her name in this_. He laughed to himself. _Does it matter? I saw her completely naked…and I'm getting ready to again._ He reached down again into the bag as he heard the water stop running in the background. _What if she catches me looking at her stuff?_ He laughed again to himself. _Maybe if she's mad enough, it'll be easier to get rid of her._

His hand wrapped around something and he pulled it out.

He held what appeared to be some sort of firearm. However, the barrel looked to be a large and thick jar filled with green liquid and with balls of amorphous green material. _What's this?_ He heard the door open. "Is this a gun or an astro lamp?" he asked aloud with a laugh as he turned around.

A woman stood there with her hair wrapped in a white towel, A few strands of black hair draped from the towel and covered part of her neck. Nothing else was covered by anything. She had a bronze body that was long-limbed and lean with firm breasts. _A natural blonde_, he thought to himself in an instant as his gaze dropped from her towel wrapped head to her loins and back up to her sharp-angled face.

In that same instant her green eyes met his and registered shock.

In the next instant, a long punch dagger with a green blade that matched her eyes was in her hand. She moved like lightning toward Tariq. Otherwise unarmed, he pointed the astro lamp at her and fired.

She dove away from him and to the ground, then lay there moaning.

"What are you moaning about?" Tariq asked in surprise. "I missed you by a kilometer." He looked again at the weapon in his hand. _I'm keeping this_, he said to himself. He ran over to her and took the blade from her hand. _Where was she hiding this_? Realization dawned on him. _She was going to kill me all along_.

The girl remained on the ground. She moaned, then went rigid. She convulsed a couple times then moaned again. Tariq raised the knife to finish here off, then stopped. "Daaahh!" he screamed in frustration.

"Well, you didn't get me," he said then picked her up in his arms and walked into the bathroom. It was small and white with its own mirror and water closet as well as a shower-tub combo. He momentarily thought of her lithe body in his arms the night before as he held her there, moaning, then grabbed the shower curtain and wrapped her up in it. He dropped her into the tub. "Bye, bye sweetie," he said and stepped out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Tariq quickly dressed and then put on his black leather jacket and skull cap. He grabbed his modified grav-board too. He glanced at her black bag, then grabbed it and headed out the door. _Let's see her try to chase me down naked_, he laughed to himself. After taking an elevator down several floors he exited into a common area.

There Mal and Sho were waiting on Tariq. Mal in a blue flak coat with an automatic shotgun over his shoulder on a sling and Sho in her black leathers with a bag of her own. They both looked at him oddly for a moment. Tariq didn't stop or say anything. He simply walked by them and through the revolving exit door.

Mal and Sho each looked at the other and then filed into the revolving door and caught up to him on the pedestrian avenue outside.

"New style?" Mal asked. "That bag is cute."

Sho laughed.

"I thought she liked me," Tariq said as he made his way into the crowd of people and continued walking. "But, fuck no. She tried to kill me. I was just a mark."

Mal snorted a laugh and Tariq shot him a look. Mal laughed again.

"Serves you right," Sho snapped at him.

Tariq looked over at her and opened his mouth but said nothing.

"Got some bad news," Sho said.

"Hit me with it," Tariq answered without bothering to look over at Sho.

"First there has been a lot of chatter today, but my sources haven't been able to decipher it yet. Second, Magos Veridine's cruiser messaged in last night that they were in the Galvon IDF last night and are expected to make it into the system this afternoon, a ten-day ahead of schedule," Sho told him.

"Damn, that sucks," Tariq said without breaking stride. "There's more, isn't there?"

"Yep," Sho answered. "The explosions we heard last night were some renegades attacking the Astropathic Choir Chambers. The Inquisitor and his space marine put them down before the Governor's forces ever made it there." Sho paused to give time for the info to sink into Tariq's head. "They took our Astropath to the psyker Null Bay where she admitted herself. My sources say she was mumbling something about 'The Blackness is coming' or something like that."

"Fuck! You gotta be kidding me! My Astropath is crazy." Tariq said as he stopped in the middle of the pedestrian avenue. Tariq and Mal made an imposing duo and people steered clear.

"Inquisitor Kaine," Sho said. "That's his name. He has already ordered his gear loaded onto the _Astra Bellum_. He's leaving with us."

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Tariq screamed. Some people stopped and stared for an instant, then continued walking after receiving a look from Mal. Tariq started walking again. "A damn Inquisitor wants to tag along. Any good news?"

"The Balts are already onboard," Sho answered with a bit of optimism. "The _Astra Bellum_ has a full-sized barracks even if it isn't fully functional."

"They've lived their whole lives in worse," Mal added. "Much worse." Tariq looked at him and each nodded to the other.

"Max and the Zundapp clan have loaded up too," Sho offered. "Apparently he is anxious to meet the Matriarch of that Squat clan in the Galvon field." Sho continued to rattle off a tally. "The Furies have been moved. Not only did I get their pilots I was able to snag some of the Fury technomats and a couple shipwright crews."

Tariq finally smiled. "Most importantly, did you get my atomantic reactor training lab?" After those words he looked over at Sho.

She smiled. "Why yes, I did," Sho answered. "I have to let you know I laughed at you when you first ordered it installed into a trailer so that we could move it around to hide it from Tech-Priests. But you proved me wrong. It's onboard."

"Excellent," Tariq said. "Before long, we should make it to the spaceport and be out of here." He heard a loud buzzing. "Answer that, will you?"

Sho gave him a hard look and then pulled a small vox from her belt. "Yes?" She listened for a minute and then her jaw dropped. "My source decrypted some of the messages I mentioned. There were riots and uprisings in every hive city on Mozhel last night. Also, a lot of distress signals came into the Astropathic Choir Chambers this morning. The influx and emotions carried were so great that the whole Choir was knocked out. Dead or unconscious. I don't know which."

"Not all of them," Tariq said. "Ours is in the psyker Null Bay. That should have protected her." An idea popped in his head. "Sounds to me like she's not crazy after all. 'The Blackness is coming.' Sounds like we need to get out of here." He looked back and forth between his two friends. "Let's go get her. If she voluntarily admitted herself, they should let her out." Mal and Sho looked at him doubtfully. "If not, how well defended could the Null Bay be? It's to keep psykers from breaking out, not to keep us from breaking in."

"I'm not so sure about that," Sho said as she scrunched her eyebrows while contemplating what he suggested.

"Let's do this," Mal answered.

Suddenly, the trio was knocked to the ground alongside everyone else on the pedestrian avenue. Immediately after, a slow rumble rolled through the air.

"That explosion was big," Tariq said as he climbed back to his feet. "Let's get going."


	7. Ch7 PMS E2 The Blackness Arrives scene 2

999.999.M41  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Mache sector  
Mozhel system  
Alamonde Orbital Platform over Mozhel Prime

Within the Alamonde Palace…

The Molossian looked about the chamber. It was hexagonal with a small tree growing from a pot along each white wall. A door was behind him and a second was opposite him. In an instant, his gaze took in the other occupant who he shared the chamber with, Inquisitor Kaine. The Molossian was huge, even by the standards of a space marine, and he dwarfed the Inquisitor who would have appeared tall next to any normal person. Kaine had chosen to not wear his power armour. Instead he wore white robes with his long black hair trailing down his back in a braid. A red band with a single gem was wrapped around his wrist. The Molossian's eyes lingered on the band and its gem for a moment before he spoke. "I expected more of you, Inquisitor Kaine." The Inquisitor didn't turn to him. "That arm band may emit a conversion field through that gem but it can still overload. Armour is always your best friend." The Inquisitor paid him no mind. "With your premonitions, I figured you'd see the importance of wearing your armour."

"There is a threat," Kaine finally answered as he turned his head toward the Molossian. "But it will not be in the room with me and the Governor. I have seen that much." He paused, then added, "That is why you will remain out here. Guard the entrance."

The Inquisitor took a deep breath before continuing.

"There were a thousand rebellions last night across Mozhel. The Astropathic Choir has been decapitated," the Inquisitor said. "Events are transpiring whose scope exceeds that of this world. This has something to do with the Astropath we interred to the Null Bay, or what she was crying about. I know that much. I also know that it is important I speak with the Governor. Alone."

The Inquisitor turned to the far door and reached for its handle.

"You're an idiot," Molossus said. Inquisitor Kaine froze, his hand just shy of touching the door handle. "I do not utter these words through insubordination. You bear an enormous responsibility to the Imperium and I believe your actions here jeopardize that by not wearing your armour. It would be a dereliction of my duty to not inform you of this."

"So bound by your duty that you do not see what is right before your eyes," Kain said with a slight laugh. "Trust me." He opened the door and walked through. The door closed behind him.

_I once held trust_, the Molossian thought. _I learned better long ago_. His brooding passed in an instant and he moved to the side of the entry door. He was a space marine and those who brooded without prepping for battle did not survive long.

Time stretched on.

Molossus grew uneasy and began to pace. Words of a memory danced in his head. _The Inquisitor asked for your service by name. I do not know how long you will be kept in his retinue, but when your service to him is completed, your next orders already await._ With those words, the Watch Commander had handed him a sealed scroll case and the Molossian had kept it with him ever since. _That was seventeen standard years ago_, Molossus thought.

Then came the blast.

Hot air. Flying debris. The cacophony of the explosion followed by the sounds of ripping rockrete. Down came an avalanche as huge chunks of the rockrete roof landed on top of the Molossian, knocking him to the floor.

Then came the second explosion. More rockrete.

Molossus chucked slabs of rockrete off his body and stood tall. He sprang over the debris and through what was once the doorway to the chamber where Inquisitor Kaine was speaking with Governor Shiir. His Morningstar was in hand as well as his bolt pistol. Then he saw it.

A white robed leg sticking out from under a slab of rockrete.

Molossus quickly mag-locked his morningstar to his armour and began moving the chunks of rockrete. Off came a chunk from a broken arm. Off came another chunk from a crushed chest with ribs protruding and blood oozing. _The first blast probably overloaded his force field or maybe the second_, Molossus thought. His eyes continued to move back and forth looking for trouble as he unearthed the body. None arrived. He pulled a large chunk off which was reinforced with plasteel bars. One bar went straight into and through the forehead of the Inquisitor. _I told him_, Molossus said to himself. Then aloud, "Armour is your friend."

The Molossian quickly turned over a few more pieces and unearthed the crumpled body of the Governor.

_What now?_ Molossus asked himself. _Find the cultists and destroy them?_

Another answer came to his mind.

The Molossian removed his helmet and retrieved a small scroll case from his neck guard. He quickly opened it and removed the scroll. The marine wasted no time and began reading.


	8. Ch8 PMS E2 The Blackness Arrives scene 3

?.999.M41  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Mache sector  
Mozhel system  
Null Bay in the Alamonde Orbital Platform over Mozhel Prime

The Null Bay was an ancient facility within the Alamonde Orbital Platform. It dated back to the earliest days of the Imperium when the fleet of Black Ships first began crisscrossing the galaxy in search of the burgeoning psyker population within humanity. Searching for those who would be culled for Mankind's safety. Searching for those who would fulfill a myriad of the Imperium's needs. Searching for those who would be bound to the God Emperor and fashioned into Astropaths. And later, searching for those who would be fed to the Astronomican itself so that the heavens could be lit with the God Emperor's Holy Light as well as fed to the Golden Throne itself. Thus, the raids began on the surface of the heavily populated planet. Un-sanctioned psykers were harvested and so much danger in one spot needed to be contained. As a result, chambers were fashioned into the Alamonde Orbital Platform which would prohibit, or at least greatly reduce, a psyker's ability to touch the Warp. The chambers of the Null Bay.

And in those chambers psykers awaited in misery while they awaited a Black Ship to take them to Holy Terra.

Autogun fire echoed in the distance. A blast of light filled the chamber and the ground shook. Tariq stood at the corner of a bulkhead, which his grav-board leaned against, and breathed heavily. Sho squatted behind him as if trying to hide in his shadow while holding her las pistol in hand. He quickly removed the magazine from his bolt pistol and put another in its place.

A haze of smoke drifted through the air.

Tariq picked up his grav-board like a shield and kept his pistol close to his chest while he prepared to jump round the corner and take aim at whatever he met. He still had the black bag slung over his shoulder. A wild-eyed renegade with tattoos and stringy hair jumped the corner first. A knife came at Tariq's eyes. He pushed his shield-board into the attacker, gaining enough space to keep from being hit. Another attacker jumped the corner. Tariq stepped back and onto Sho's foot. Off-balance, he half-stumbled. He saw the two raise their knives to finish him.

They were blown away by a burst of heavy gunfire, torn into multiple pieces. Tariq glanced over his shoulder to see Mal holding his auto-shotgun. _Slugs in an auto-shotgun. Damn_. Tariq nodded to his friend then jumped the corner and fired twice at whatever was in front of him.

Two renegades dressed like sanitation workers in grey pants and shirts fell to the ground, each with a giant hole in his chest. _Damn, how'd I get that lucky? _Tariq asked himself. He didn't have time for any more thoughts. A handful more came running at him. Each looked wild and crazy and all were dressed like sanitation workers. A hail of fire by Mal from over his shoulder obliterated them. _Are the janitors rioting for better pay or is this a coordinated attack by infiltrators?_

Tariq looked about. Gunfire could still be heard throughout the complex but he was faced with three passages in front of him. _Which one?_

"I'm out of ammo," Mal said.

"So am I," Tariq added. Sho offered him her laspistol but he ignored her and instead drew the punch dagger he had taken from the girl who had tried to kill him. Its green blade shone in the smoky air.

Mal pulled a chain maul from under his coat. "Let's do this and get out of here," he said.

"Right passage," Sho said as she pointed at it. "That's my best guess from the floor plans I hacked."

Tariq followed her finger and ran down the passage. _Dead renegades_, Tariq thought as he jumped over a mess of blood and guts as well as the five mangled corpses from whence the mess had come. A couple chainaxes as well as an autogun lay with the men. _And a dead woman_, he thought as he stepped overtop the next body. His gaze lingered and he slowed for a moment. Her bloodied corpse was dressed in armour which was sculpted to her body. Her visor was open, revealing blank blue eyes. She was missing an arm and her belly was agape with her innards scattered about. Tariq's stomach churned and he nearly puked. _At least she got five before she fell_, he thought.

The body of another heavily armoured renegade lay ahead on the deck where the corridor opened up.

Tariq slowed to a near crawl and raised his hand up to signal Mal and Sho behind him. The body had a burned wound on the neck stump where its head should have been. _Plasma shot_, Tariq guessed. He powered up his shield-board. It began to slowly vibrate and he pushed it past the corner's edge.

Nothing. The sound of concentrated gunfire erupted in the distance behind them and kept going.

_Something tells me whoever is over there is waiting on me_, Tariq thought. "It's clear guys," he said and pushed his shield forward again.

Blue lightning arced as the impact of the plasma fire nearly ripped the shield from his arm. He barely kept hold of it and pulled it back to him.

"Traitors!" rang out a voice from around the corner. A voice like that of a pre-teen girl. "You will never defeat me!"

"She's got us penned here," Sho whispered. "I don't see how we can get past her."

_She sounds awful young_, Tariq thought. "Look, we just want to talk."

"Liar!" screamed the voice but from a slightly different direction. Tariq ducked fully behind his shield. A blast of plasma and then there was a hole in the bulkhead where his head had been a moment before.

"Will you just stop it for a minute!" Tariq screamed. "Damn!"

"I've never been one to hurt kids," Mal said. "I think I'd make an exception for this one."

The concentrated gunfire in the background died out.

"You will not defeat me!" screamed the voice. "I may not have taken the Oath of Tranquility yet, but I know how to fight!"

"I'm sure no one ever you accused you of taking that oath!" Sho snapped back at the girl from behind Tariq. Then lower, to him, she asked, "What's the Oath of Tranquility?"

"I don't know," Tariq answered with a shrug.

"For the Emperor!" cried the little girl's voice.

Tariq jumped back and into Sho who fell back into Mal. Another plasma blast. This one collided with his shield. Blue arcs danced in front of his eyes. The shield's vibration stuttered for a moment, then stopped. "Shit," Tariq said.

"Wut?" The voice behind was Mal's, but muffled. It was immediately followed by the sound of something hitting the floor a few paces behind him. Almost as quickly, an enormous gauntleted hand landed on Tariq's shoulder and tossed him backwards. He landed on top of Sho and Mal. A figure moved past him.

Tariq raised his head to make out who it was. He saw the back of a giant in black power armour.

_The Molossian?_ Tariq thought in a near daze from hitting the ground.

"Cease fire!" erupted a deep, vox amplified voice from the giant.

"Yes, honoured Astartes," came the quick reply in the voice of a young girl.

Tariq climbed to his feet and heard both Sho and Mal doing the same behind him. _Damn, I want to smack that little girl_, he thought. Looking at the broad back of the behemoth blocking his view made him think better of it and he kept his mouth shut. _I hope Mal and Sho keep quiet_.

"We have a short respite until the next wave comes in," the Molossian said. "You, Novice-Sister, are the last of the Lamonde Enclave surviving on the platform. The others who have not fallen are planet-side, gathering the multitudes of psykers who awoke in the past few days." He paused a moment then added, "I am here to acquire an Astropath who incarcerated herself here yesterday. I will take her with me to the _Astra Bellum_. These three behind me will go with me there too."

"I'm sorry, honoured Astartes," the girl said. "I know nothing about machine spirits. I'm afraid I'd make them mad or tell them to let out all the psykers."

There was a moment of silence.

"I can do it," came Sho's voice from over Tariq's shoulder.

The enormous space marine turned around. Red, glowing orbs looked out over a giant vox-grille.

"I'm conversant in binary cant. I'm also skilled at manipulating the protocols of machine spirits," Sho said. "I found the floorplan to get us to this point and I bet I can break Yu out."

The space marine turned back around and made some motions with his hands. _Sign language?_ Tariq asked himself. The Molossian stepped aside.

Sho walked past Tariq and he followed her into the chamber.

"You go with them," Tariq heard the Molossian say to Mal. "I'll guard the passage."

As Tariq stepped into the chamber, he looked about. It was hexagonal with an arched ceiling and a round desk in the middle. Each bulkhead had an exit that led down a long passage. To his left stood a small girl in a black knee-length armoured skirt and black boots. She had long black hair which trailed down her back in a tight braid and a round face. In her hands was a plasma rifle which was nearly as big as she was. _She can't be more than nine or ten_, Tariq thought. He started to suggest she let him hold the plasma rifle but changed his mind when she gave him a sharp look. "What's your name?" Tariq asked the girl.

The girl looked at him and snarled her face. "I have to go start the Null Bay's self-destruct protocols," she said then turned and ran down one of the passages, barely able to keep upright while carrying the plasma rifle in front of her.

"Hey, Sho," Tariq said. "I think you better hurry."

Sho hurried past Tariq and sat at the desk. She pulled a small dataslate from her bag and then connected it to the cogitator in front of her. After a few moments, Sho pointed down a corridor and said, "Mal, that one. You'll know its Yu's cell when it opens."

"I hope it is," Tariq said. "Wrong cell with a crazy psyker in it might be bad."

Mal ran down the passage. "I've faith in you, Sho!"

Auto-fire and bolter fire erupted from back down the passage they had entered. _I'm gonna guess the Molossian's got that_, Tariq thought. He turned his attention back to Sho. "A little faster please. I don't want to blow up with the Null Bay," he said. "That would ruin an otherwise wonderful day."

Sho did not slow her work or speed up for that matter. She simply said, "Shut up, Tariq," After a few more moments, she added, "Got it!" A smile spread across her face.

"I knew you could do it," Tariq said with relief. "But, to be honest, I was worried there for a minute."

Sho smirked back at him.

The moments dragged on. Tariq shuffled his feet, frustrated. _Come on, Mal_. The big man came back into the chamber with a woman on his arm. _So, this is Yu_. Tariq quickly looked her over. She could hardly stand and was in a long white dress. Her body was long and slender, but not without some curves. She had long straight black hair and her almond shaped eyes were completely white. _I'd hit it_, Tariq thought after a moment of consideration.

The Astropath suddenly took her weight off Mal's shoulder and stood upright. "The Blackness is almost here!" she screamed. "We must leave!" Yu's knees buckled again and Mal caught her.

"Let's get out of here!" Tariq said and motioned for Sho and Mal to go. Sho headed down the passage toward the Molossian and Mal tossed Yu over his shoulder and followed her. Tariq filed in behind them.

A few metres ahead, the Molossian filled the entire doorway. He glanced back at Tariq and his comrades for a moment and then walked forward. They quickly followed. After some twists and turns they exited the Null Bay into a quadrangle.

In the middle of the quadrangle, his attack bike sat by itself, with roughly a score of bodies lying on the pedestrian avenue beyond it. Blood spattered the rockrete pavement as far as Tariq could see. _Must be who he killed on his way in_, Tariq guessed. The big space marine hopped onto his bike and it instantly came to life. The roar of its engines filled the air.

Sho hopped into the sidecar first. A wide smile formed on her face. Mal handed Yu to Tariq and hopped into the sidecar too. He reached back and Tariq helped him lift the Astropath in with him. Finally, Tariq hopped in beside them. Mal took a look at the multi-melta for a moment and then took its controls.

"We're ready!" Tariq yelled at the Molossian.

"We wait for the little one," The Molossian said. "Her unique talents will be of use."

Tariq started to say something to the Molossian but stopped. _You know this place is about to be blown up, don't you?_ he said to himself but kept his mouth shut. The engines roared even more loudly.

A moment later, the little girl came running in her boots with her skirt flying in the wind and her braid trailing behind. She still somehow managed to keep the gun in a position that looked like she was ready to fire it.

As the girl neared the sidecar, she threw the plasma rifle ahead at Tariq. He reached over the side and caught it. She effortlessly leapt in beside him. He reached the rifle back to her and she took it. The little girl gave him a smile. Tariq made himself smile back although he didn't want to.

The attack bike lurched and then accelerated with a roar.


	9. Ch9 PMS E2 The Blackness Arrives scene 4

?.999.M41  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Mache sector  
Mozhel system  
Spaceport of the Alamonde Orbital Platform over Mozhel Prime

The uprising within the orbital platform had reached a crescendo. Many airlocks had been blown open to the void and entire bulkheads blown away in some areas, leaving portions of Alamonde depressurized. Fires raged and the generatorium was set ablaze, leaving much of the platform without power. Back-up systems engaged, but many important districts were without power.

The attack bike accelerated as its engine roared. Both the twin-linked heavy bolters at the Molossian's command had run out of ammo and the multi-melta at Mal's command had spent its fuel also. The five occupants of the sidecar huddled low while Molossus piloted onward.

A throng of renegades poured into the avenue as they approached the entrance to the Alamonde spaceport. A nest of them filled the avenue in front of the attack bike while the rest swarmed at its sides.

The space marine never slowed. He stepped with his foot to shift gears and accelerated into the crowd.

Bodies flew and blood spattered. An arm hit Tariq in the face. A bodiless head slammed into Mal's shoulder. Sprays of blood emptied into the sidecar as bodies flew overtop. Countless other bodies were sent flying away from the attack bike and the bike bounced along the surface of the avenue as it ran over those it did not knock away or turn into bloody paste.

"Hold tight," came the vox amplified voice of Molossus.

Tariq raised up to see the closed sliding door that was the spaceport's entrance. He squatted behind his shield-board. The bike never slowed and the impact sent all flying forward. Mal slammed into the multi-melta with Sho and the Astropath crashing into his back. He crumpled to the floor in pain. Tariq slammed into the front of the sidecar behind his shield. The barrel of a plasma rifle slammed into his ribs and the little girl slammed into his back.

Tariq looked over his shoulder. A trickle of blood was running from the little girl's nose and she had a purple bruise on her lip which had instantly swollen. He saw the moistness in her eyes but noticed she still held onto the plasma rifle which had hit him in the back of his ribs. "You alright little one?" he asked.

The girl nodded back in pain.

Tariq looked over at Mal. He was moaning on the floor of the sidecar with Sho and Yu kneeling beside him. Tariq raised up and looked around. They were passing through a large, but mostly empty bay. There was fire and smoke. He saw three burning wrecks that had been shuttles at one time. Corpses were scattered across the deck. Blood too. And the rest of the docking lots were empty. _Where are all the shuttles?_ Tariq asked himself.

As if sensing Tariq's question, Molossus spoke up. "Anyone with sense already left." The space marine did not turn to face Tariq as he spoke. He just kept piloting the bike forward. "They took all the small craft and left." The bike slowed down. "Any suggestions?"

"I can pilot anything," Tariq said. "How big a vessel can you pilot?"

"I am experienced," Molossus nonchalantly answered. "But the largest thing I've piloted is a Warhawk pattern Stormbird."

"Oh," Tariq answered as he kept looking around. _What the hell is that?_ A thought occurred to him. "Next bay over holds the transfer freighters."

The bike's engine thundered as it accelerated and veered left across the open docking bay. Tariq directed Molossus to make a couple turns and then they pulled up in front of a transfer freighter. A freighter Tariq recognized.

The freighter loaded with wargear belonging to the Mozhel 96th Siege and Support Regiment.

"Sho, hack the controls to the hatch," Tariq said. She hopped up and climbed over the sidecar and put her hand into her bag while walking toward the hatch. "Yu, little one, stay with Mal til we can get in." Both girls looked at Tariq and then down at Mal who moaned softly. "Molossus, cover us." The space marine turned his helmet with its train plow jaw toward him and froze. _Damn, what was I thinking?_ Tariq thought as he stared at the helmet's red eyes. The space marine reached under the handlebars and pulled out a boltgun then methodically climbed out of the bike and took cover behind it. Tariq hopped out too and ran to the hatch with his shield-board to cover Sho while he still carried the black bag over his shoulder.

Sho had already removed a coupling piece from her bag and connected it to the hatch controls. She opened her dataslate and began working its controls. "This should only take a minute," she said. "Simple protocols because no one would try to steal one of these. They're too slow to get away."

Tariq looked back over his shoulder. The dock remained clear but there was gunfire in the distance. A loud crack came from behind him and he knew the hatch locks had disengaged. "Good job, Sho," he said.

She pulled the hatch wide open and stepped to the side.

"Girls! Help Mal up and into the ship," Tariq said. Then, to Molossus, he added, "Let's get this thing started up. I'm pretty sure it has a two-person cockpit." Without waiting to see if anyone paid him any heed, Tariq ran into the vessel and toward its prow.

Engines of war were on either side of him but he did not slow to admire them. He passed a half-dozen Sentinel power-lifters, three on each side, one after another. He then had to hug the starboard bulkhead to move past an Atlas Recovery vehicle and then past an armoured command vehicle. He stopped at a closed hatch with a wheel lock.

A roar from outside reached his ears. _He's not going to leave his bike behind_, Tariq realized. _Heh, I wouldn't either_.

Tariq spun the wheel and opened the hatch, then went inside and sat down at the pilot's seat on the left. A second seat was empty on his right. He immediately grabbed a set of headphones and put them on then started looking over the console. A port jumped out to his eyes. "There it is," Tariq said aloud to himself and pushed up his sleeve. He pulled a connector cable from the port on his arm and plugged it into the cogitator port on the console.

The control panel lit up. An array of readings appeared in the left corner of his vision.

At that moment, the armoured Molossian sat down in the chair beside him and it nearly collapsed under his weight. He too pulled a port cable from his armour and plugged it into the co-pilot port.

"Outstanding!" Tariq said. "You've got an impulse unit too!"

The Molossian said nothing in response and an instant later the little girl squeezed into the cabin beside the space marine.

Tariq looked over at her and said "Thanks for flying Alamonde Space." She stared blankly back at him. _No humor at all_, he thought. "Everybody in back there?" Tariq yelled over his shoulder.

There was a moment of silence and then Sho said, "Yeah, we're good."

_Now, let's get out of here_, Tariq thought to himself as he initiated the takeoff. The freighter slowly rose off the deck. He started to issue a command to his copilot, then checked himself. _I guess I'll just keep my mouth shut and let the big guy do his part_, Tariq wisely decided. _I'm sure he knows what he's doing_.

The freighter slowly made its way down the docking ramp. After several hundred metres it reached the open bay portal. A shimmering power field held the atmosphere in place. _I'm glad they were smart enough to have these doors supplied by a back-up generatorium_, Tariq thought. _I would have hated to enter the spaceport and have it depressurized…_

The ship exited the shimmering field and into the void.

Scans by the freighter's sensors immediately flooded Tariq's vision and alerted him to several burning hulks floating nearby. He scanned the void and caught a cruiser with massive heat and radiation emissions erupting from its sides. It was listing and drifting straight toward the Alamonde Orbital Platform. _Out of there just in time_.

_So many lost_, he thought for a moment. But something else bothered him.

_I can see them being quiet_, Tariq thought as he glanced at the space marine with the girl squeezed in beside him. _But why is everyone else so quiet? How's Mal?_

At that moment, Sho stepped up to the open hatch. "We've got company," she said.

The little girl spun around as did Tariq. The Molossian simply continued to pilot the vessel.

Sho was standing in the hatch and behind her stood a woman who was dressed in a deep blue uniform with stripes on her shoulders. Thick and long blonde hair topped her rounded face. She had bright green eyes. _Why am I such a sucker for green eyes?_ Tariq asked himself. _Looks like a Sergeant from one of the Mozhel regiments._ His eyes then glanced at her body. _Long and lithe with firm breasts, just the way I like'em._ Then he saw the las pistol pointed into the back of Sho's head.

"Who do you think you are to steal my regiment's wargear?" she asked.

"Steal it?" Tariq asked. "We're just borrowing it."

"On whose authority?" she asked.

"The authority of Inquisitor Kaine." The Molossian's vox amplified voice silenced everyone. "My last orders were that the Astropath Yu was to be taken to the _Astra Bellum_ and that I would go where she went."

"You're piloting. I can take her," said the little girl beside Molossus. "Do you want me to?"

The Sergeant glanced at the little girl beside the space marine.

"No, that won't be necessary," Tariq answered and smiled at the Sergeant. She smiled back. "I'm Lord Tariq al Tiri, Rogue Trader extraordinaire," he said. "And who might you be?"

The woman lowered the laspistol from Sho's head. "I'm Sergeant Tristine Mujera," she said. "I was guarding the vessel from a distance when I saw the lot of you approach it." She paused, then added, "I knew I couldn't take you guys but I would not give up so easily."

"I never saw or heard her coming," Sho said defensively.

"Nothing to worry about," Tariq answered. "How's Mal?"

"I gave him a tranq," Sho answered. "I think he broke some ribs. Yu is back there with him."

"Well," Tariq said. "Let's contact the _Astra Bellum_ and get out of here."


	10. Ch10 PMS E2 The Blackness Arrives scene

?.999.M41  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Mache sector  
Mozhel system  
Bridge of the Astra Bellum in high orbit over Mozhel Prime

The stellar freighter distanced itself from the Alamonde Orbital Platform and made its way through the void to the _Astra Bellum_. As it did, the listing cruiser slammed into the station. The platform, tens of kilometres long, descended into the atmosphere of Mozhel Prime and blazed into flame while the cruiser ricocheted away and into its own death spiral. They crashed into the surface of the planet and a shockwave blast that covered hundreds of kilometres in diameter radiated away from the impact, sweeping aside hive spires and fortresses alike.

Billions perished.

Tariq stood by the steps of the Command Throne beside Captain Jacqueveka who occupied its seat in his green greatcoat and matching tricorn hat. He barked orders to the crew. Tariq looked around the bridge of the _Astra Bellum_. The small bridge was buzzing with activity. A quick survey of the faces on the bridge told him at least three quarters of the officers and enlisted around him were women of all shapes and sizes. _Focus_, Tariq told himself. _Follow what's going on and learn something._ He continued scanning the bridge. In her plain white dress, the apparel of a prisoner confined into a Null bay, Yu looked completely out of place standing at the Astropath's console. It didn't help that she had a dazed look on her face. _At least she can stand on her own now_, Tariq thought. He looked about as if expecting to see someone he knew wouldn't be there. _Sho's with Mal on the medicae deck_, he thought. _I think the Molossian and the girl went to inventory the items the Inquisitor ordered loaded on here_. _Tristine? Who knows? _He glanced around again. _I can't remember feeling this out of place_. A red headed man with a third-eye on his head stood at the Navigator's console. _I thought Mari would be here_. With another glance around the bridge he saw Altira. _At least I recognize someone else here_. She glanced Tariq's way and he gave her a smile. She turned away without responding. _She was just probably looking at her Dad._

_Tariq!_

He turned round. "Who said my name?" A couple officers stopped for a moment and looked at him then went back to their business. The Captain ignored him. Tariq kept looking.

_Here!_

This time Tariq turned straight to the voice. Yu was looking straight at him with her solid white eyes. _Damn! She's in my head_.

_Come here!_ The words filled Tariq's mind. He stepped away from the Command Throne and walked over to the Astropath. She faced him, then reached up and put her arms around his neck. She pulled his face close to hers and then slightly to the side. "The Blackness is here," she whispered into his ear. "A Warp rift like none other is opening. I don't know how much time we have." Yu's arms dropped off from his neck and she fell into the seat at her console.

**The End**

**of**

**The Blackness Arrives**

**Episode 2 of the 4 part pilot mini-series to On the Edge**

**A/N This has been posted Thursday evening 09-05-19 and Episode 2 of the "pilot" should be out on Sunday 09-15-19.**


	11. Ch11 PMS E3 Turf War scene 1

?.999.M41  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Mache sector  
Mozhel system  
Bridge of the _Astra Bellum_ in high orbit over Mozhel Prime

The bridge of the _Astra Bellum_ was a flurry of activity. Interim officers scurried about at Jacqueveka's directions from the Command Throne. The Captain snapped at his daughter, "Altira."

"Yes, Captain," Altira responded. _Close one_, she thought. _I wish he wouldn't address me that way. I almost called him father._

"Any word on the uprising in the lower decks?" Jacqueveka asked her. "Are the armsmen brought onboard by our illustrious Rogue Trader here putting it down?"

_Armsmen?_ Altira thought. _Hive gangers is more like it._ She started, "I have not heard any…"

"Captain Jacqueveka," Tariq interrupted.

_Fool_, Altira thought.

"Not now," replied the Captain. "I'm trying to get everyone organized here and to ensure we don't have a full-fledged mutiny on our hands. After watching that cruiser crash into the Alamonde, we need to be ready for a fight. Everyone's gone crazy," he said. "Emperor protect us."

"Captain!" Tariq snapped back loudly. "Yu said that a Warp rift is opening. Right here, right now!"

All movement stopped in the bridge. All sound ceased save for the humming of the cogitators. _Did he just say a Warp rift is about to open right here?_ Altira asked herself in disbelief.

"She doesn't know how much time we have," Tariq added in a near whisper.

"Damn," said the Captain. "The machine spirit of the plasma drive is sick. It's out of commission and we need it healthy to generate the Gellar field and power the Warp drive to get out of here."

Audible gasps filled the bridge and the entire crew stared at the Captain.

"Altira," Tariq snapped. "Take me to the Engine Room. Now." He turned immediately toward the blast door and looked back over his shoulder when he reached it. "I can tend to the _Astra Bellum_'s machine spirit."

Captain Jacqueveka looked at Tariq for a moment and then turned to Altira. "Take the Commander to his Tech-Priest."

"Yes, Captain," Altira snapped back. She quickly hopped up and headed toward Tariq. He didn't wait on her. He raised his palm to the box on the wall and the blast door slid open.

Once in the corridor, Altira took the lead and led him to an open transit-car. They each hopped in and took hold of a rail.

A mechanical voice filled the air. "Destination, please," it said.

"Engine Room," Altira answered. She glanced at Tariq. _What does he think he can do?_ The transit-car quickly accelerated along its rails. Wind blew in her ears.

"I know I own the _Astra Bellum_ but I didn't think I owned its Tech-Priests," Tariq yelled over the wind with a laugh. "I thought they all left."

Altira gave him a funny look. "They did," she yelled back. "Magos Orlok arrived earlier today and said he was your personal Tech-Priest. He is, isn't he?" she asked.

"Yes, he is," Tariq answered, but looked puzzled. "I wasn't expecting him here so soon."

"You really think you might know something your Tech-Priest doesn't?" Altira asked Tariq.

"I know a little bit about plasma generators," he answered.

_Why is he smirking like that?_ Altira asked herself as she stared at Tariq. She tried to frown but smiled back instead. _Why?_ _The Emperor saved me from death down on Mozhel by declining my entrance to Officers' School. Now I'm gonna die in a freaking Warp rift unless this numbskull can fix the plasma engines. I'm doomed!_

"Destination reached," crackled the mechanical voice as the transit-car rapidly decelerated. "Engine Room stop."

"Follow me," Altira snapped.

She hopped out of the transit-car and crossed the waiting area to a large blast door and stopped in front of it. Tariq nearly bumped into her, but stopped just in time. She raised her hand and waved it over the box mounted on the bulkhead.

The door slid open.

Altira turned to look at Tariq but he quickly brushed past her and into the Engine Room. She followed and stood just inside the blast door to its right.

The control room was about five metres deep and twenty metres wide and the far bulkhead consisted entirely of a massive cogitator and control panel assembly. At each end was an open hatch. To the left, and taking up a considerable portion of space within the room, was a red-robed Magos. _Orlok? I think that's his name_, Altira thought. His body was "parked" in front of a panel and four mechadendrites which protruded from under his red robes were "plugged" into ports on the console.

"What have we got here?" Tariq asked the Magos. "Your pupil, Praxides, wants to help."

_Praxides?_ Altira shot Tariq a confused look. He held his index finger up to his lips, signaling her to remain quiet.

"Every time I initiate the start-up sequence, it shuts down," The Magos said. His voice was monotone and evidenced no frustration. "The engine is not a known standard construct and the trouble reports do not match the readings."

Tariq moved up to the control panel, then shifted to the right. He reached up his right sleeve and pulled out a cable. _He's got an MIU? Didn't expect that_, Altira thought. He connected to a port on the console.

"Slow down," Tariq said. "This is a bit more sophisticated than it appears," he added with a smile.

_Is he talking to me or to himself?_ Altira glanced to the Magos on her left. _Or to him?_ She waited impatiently. Seconds ticked by.

A mechanical laugh erupted from the Magos. "Well done, Praxides," he added.

Tariq unplugged his MIU from the console and turned toward Altira. "I already contacted your Father through the Damage Control interlinks," he said. "Now, take me to wherever my Chief Navigator is."

"Yes, Rogue Trader," Altira answered.

"Magos Orlok will stay here with the engines for now," Tariq added.

Without another word, Altira turned around and exited the Engine Room. She quickly crossed over to the transit-car and hopped in. Tariq hopped in beside her.

"Berthing Compartment Seven C," Altira said. The transit-car quickly accelerated.

_What did he do?_ Altira asked herself. Unable to answer her own question, she spoke up. "What did you do to the machine spirit?"

"It broke down a while back," he answered. "It isn't a known template and someone who didn't know what he was doing half-fixed it. It ran, but at less than half-power." Altira just stared at him. "The mismatched component caused a capacitive overload and eventually a burnout in the troubleshooting circuitry. Someone installed a Standard Template replacement part that normally would be in the troubleshooting circuitry but a different one was required. Signals crossed. The Capacitive Overload signal went into the circuitry but it sent out a signal that reduced the plasma flow instead of the capacitance."

"Oh," Altira said. Tariq smiled at Altira. _Nice_, she thought and smiled back.

The transit-car abruptly stopped. "Changing decks," the mechanical voice droned. The car began to lower and then accelerated. It rapidly passed through deck after deck.

"So, Orlok has ordered his servo-automata to replace the part and he is watching over it in the meantime," Tariq finished.

"How did you figure that out?" Altira asked. "Did the machine spirit just tell you?"

"No," Tariq answered. "I recognized there were multiple problems, one of which was in the troubleshooting circuitry, and called up the schematic pages. After that, I called the repair logs and compared them. I recognized the installed parts were not compatible with the system and from there it was easy."

"Seems like a lot to have looked at in a few seconds," Altira suggested.

The transit-car stepped descending and began to horizontally accelerate.

Tariq shrugged. "Roughly fifteen thousand pages," he answered with a shrug.

"Oh," Altira said. _Is he serious?_

The transit-car rapidly decelerated and came to a stop. "Destination reached," the monotone voice said. "Birthing Compartment Seven C."

"Now, let's see why my Chief Navigator isn't at her console on the bridge," Tariq said as he hopped out of the transit-car.


	12. Ch12 PMS E3 Turf War scene 2

?.999.M41  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Mache sector  
Mozhel system  
Medicae Deck of the _Astra Bellum_ in high orbit over Mozhel Prime

Sho glanced up and squinted. A bright light streamed down from a fixture directly over her head. _I'm too used to the underhive_, she laughed to herself. _I remember_, she began as a fragment of memory started to form in her mind while she stared at the bright white light. The memory continued to form and she glanced at her black leather jacket on the coat rack beside the hatch which was the room's only entrance. The rattling of metal drew her attention away before the memory could fully form and her head quickly turned to the source of the noise.

A medic dressed in white stood beside a white sheeted bed.

She was tall and long-limbed with long delicate fingers and held a syringe in her hand. Her black hair was in a bun and tucked under a white cap. _Another woman_, thought Sho. _Tariq is going to think he's found paradise_, she laughed to herself. _Why can't it be Tariq's medic, Mistress Avril? She's old and wrinkled_.

A soft moan quickly pulled her eyes past the medic.

A darkness covered the bed. Darkness in the form of a naked ebon-skinned man covered from the waist down with a white sheet. _Malgo_. His dak skin contrasted with the white sheets, except where his chest was cut wide open. There the blood and flesh were plainly visible. A bottle of fluids hung from a stand with a tube leading from it to to his arm. _Hang in there, big guy_, Sho said to herself. _Medic's gonna brace those ribs right up. Don't you dare think about her instead of me_.

The door behind Sho opened but she paid it no mind.

"How much longer?" Sho asked. "Mal's gonna want him to help put down the fightin' in the lower decks." She heard a tray of medicine placed upon the counter behind her but didn't turn. Sho remained focused on the medic and Malgo.

"He will be in no condition to fight. He's been sedated," the Medic answered. Her operating mask covered face glanced back over her shoulder at Sho.

The medic's eyes opened wide.

Sho didn't think. She spun round. A syringe was coming straight for her neck. A syringe in the hand of a masked white clad medicae aid. Sho jerked her head back as her left hand flew up and caught the aid's wrist. She teetered back, slightly off balance. A second fist hit her in the lip but she still caught the wrist afterward. Sho kicked her right foot behind her for balance, tightened her gut, then drew herself slightly forward and pushed back against the would-be assassin. The assassin gave a little. _Weak chick_, Sho thought as she regained her balance. Her right knee came up and into the aid's gut. Again, into the aid's ribs.

The syringe dropped to the floor.

"Bitch!" screamed Sho as she pushed into the aid but the aid pushed back. Sho reversed from push to pull and swung her hips. The aid stumbled past her and to the ground. As the aid fell, she rolled over and her nails dug into the flesh of Sho's neck and she ripped open Sho's blouse as she tried to hang on to anything while falling. It didn't work. Sho just followed her to the ground as she let go of the girl's wrists and landed with a knee outside each hip of the aid. A half-closed fist hit the aid's masked face then Sho's fists closed tightly. A fist landed on the girl's forehead. A fist to the cheek. Collarbone. Forehead again. Cheek.

Sho jumped to her feet and kicked the aid in the face. Her black boot ripped off the aid's mask. Teeth spilled out of the girl's bloody mouth and onto the white floor. Another kick to her face. And another. And another.

Sho breathed in and out. A memory tugged at her conscience and she glanced back up at the light. _The dentist_, she thought. _That's what I was thinking of._ _Just like the light shining in my face when Tariq had Mistress Avril put my teeth back in my mouth_.

She laughed out loud.

Sho kicked the motionless body in the face one more time and then stepped out from overtop the pooling blood. She looked over her shoulder as she finished ripping off her torn blouse.

The medic just stood there staring at her, syringe in hand.

"You just gonna stand there or are you gonna finish operating on my man?" Sho asked her. The medic's eyes moved, eyeing the 'sleeve' of tattoos covering each of Sho's arms. Sho glanced at her arms and then back at the medic. "You didn't see these," she said.

The medic quickly turned back around to face Mal on the table. "He's going to be unable to do much for a while," she said.

"Don't you tell me or him what he can or can't do," Sho told the medic as she put her jacket on and closed the door. "Just get to work."


	13. Ch13 PMS E3 Turf War scene 3

?.999.M41  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Mache sector  
Mozhel system  
Fore underdeck of the _Astra Bellum_ in high orbit over Mozhel Prime

A clump of figures filled the blood-spattered corner of the corridor. Twin roars from chain weapons filled the air.

Two helmeted Squats, each in red carapace armour and carrying a shield, were pressed against a knot of humans in dirty bilge-cleaner clothing. Knives and fire pokers continually jabbed at the Squats. Long poles from the back humans struck at their eyes. A wrench was wildly swung overhand at them, again and again.

Kelvi and Max didn't budge.

The Squats pushed into the humans with their shields, forming a shieldwall in the narrow corridor. Max half-heartedly swung his roaring chainaxe over the top of his shield and then pushed forward and round the corner as the human fell back into his comrades. Kelvi did the same with his chain maul as it roared more loudly in answer to his call. The enormous hammer seemed impossibly large for the Squat to wield and yet he swung it hard overhand. But it's chain head never found flesh as a crowbar met its handle and stopped the swing.

"Damn it, Kelvi!" screamed Max. "Bust that little rat's head open, will ya!" He pulled his chain axe back as he spoke and it went quiet as he let go of its handle, leaving it to hang from his wrist by a strap.

Kelvi pushed hard and away from himself with his shield, taking a half-step back as he did so, twisting his hips. The humans pushed to close the gap but were too slow. Kelvi swung the chain maul with a vengeance and the lead human tried to stop but was pushed forward by the men behind him.

The man's head exploded in a shower of blood as the maul passed through it before burying itself in his neck stump. The chain maul whirled louder and dug through flesh, ripping bone and flesh, spraying gore over the entire knot of combatants as well as the ceilings and bulkheads.

"Got it!" Max screamed with glee as he tossed a frag grenade overtop the front men and it landed in the middle of the mob.

The two Squats immediately retreated a half-step around the corner.

A bright flash and roar filled the corridor as the grenade went off. Blood and guts flew through the air along with parts of scalps and a couple legs. The human remains filled the corridor with a mass of blood and clothing along with the remnants of tools improvised into weapons. Still, moans escaped from the mass and some legs and arms twitched.

Max and Kelvi hopped around the corner and began chopping up the remnants with their chain weapons.

"Damn it," Max said. "I wish I knew whether or not there is a Magos handy. We might be able to salvage one or two of these guys to be servitors." He raised his chain axe and lopped off a head. "Eh, there's always next time but I hate missing a chance to make a deal."

"Whatever, Pa," Kelvi said as he smashed another twitching limb.

"These bilge-cleaners may have been recruited from the hive gangs on Mozhel but we were born to fight in quarters like this," Max laughed and smiled at his son.

The dry scraping sound of metal wheels rolling on the deck drew their attention down the corridor. Each looked up. "Oh shit! Move!" Max screamed as he glanced down the corridor. An autogun on two large metal wheels and protected by a foreward cowl of armor was being pulled across the "T" at the corridor's end. Two bilge-cleaners turned it to face down the corridor toward them.

The two Squats dove back around the corner.

A hail of gunfire opened and did not stop. Max and Kelvi each cowered behind their shields as bullets ricocheted off the bulkhead and around the corner. The trail of fire slowly moved toward the corner and began to eat away at the bulkhead but stopped. Silence filled the corridor.

"It's overheated!" screamed Kelvi as he hopped up.

Max reached up with a gauntleted hand and pulled him back. The roar of the autogun filled the corridor and bullets began bouncing off the bulkhead again. They watched as bullets chipped away at the corner and toward them.

"Now!" Max screamed. Both he and Kelvi leapt forward toward the hail of bullets but the bullets stopped. "She's out of ammo now! I counted 'em!"

The two Squats, father and son, rounded the corner and scrambled down the narrow corridor toward the wheeled gun. Two bilge workers were barely visible behind its cowl.

The one on the left raised up with a grenade launcher on his shoulder. The other with a long knife.

"No stopping now!" Max screamed without slowing. Kelvi ran right at his side.

A blur of red-gold fur and teeth shot past the corner of the "T" and into each of the combatants standing behind the wheeled autogun, knocking them to the deck. Max and Kelvi kept running toward the autogun. Fur danced around the edge of the platform. Snarls filled the air. So did the screams of dying men. As Kelvi and Max neared the autogun, they saw the source of the fur. Four canines were on top the men tearing at their arms and groins. Four muscular dogs with short red-gold fur and prominent jaws. Their tails and ears were cropped.

The two Squats made it to the autogun and looked over the armoured cowl. The bilge workers had their guts and privates strewn across the deck. Each had his throat in the jaws of a heavily muscled copper-coloured canine and with a second canine pulling on a limb.

"Heel!" yelled a voice from down the left of the "T". The dogs instantly stopped and looked toward the source of the voice then trotted down the corridor toward it.

Max and Kelvi looked leaned over the armoured cowl and looked down the corridor. The canines were trotting to a tall black man with a big black beard and a shaved head. He was dressed in a black flak jacket and was hesitantly walking toward them. Beyond him were a half-dozen hive gangers in black with slinged lasguns on their shoulder and a sword in hand.

"Ha! Ha!" Kelvi screamed. "Just in time Mal. I thought we were goners."

"Don't listen to him," Max snapped back. "We had it under control."

The big man crouched and noticeably winced in pain as he did. His arm quickly moved to his ribs. As the canines came up to him, he pushed them away from his ribs and stood tall. One by one, Mal held his palm on top the head and snout of each canine. Each dog quietly assumed a deferential posture toward him.

Max and Kelvi watched expectantly while the other gangers waited in the background.

The largest canine had a long open cut on its back from the knife held by the one bilge worker. "Hold still, Mick," Mal said. He reached within his flak jacket and pulled out a large instrument which he held like a gun. With his other hand, Malgo pinched the skin together and overlapped it, then placed the instrument over the flap. He squeezed the trigger and a small pop followed. Mick winced. Two more squeezes and two more pops, leaving three staples to hold the cut flap of skin together. Malgo put the staple gun away and then patted Mick on the head one more time.

He looked up at the two Squats. "That'll have to do til I find a medic."

"Don't worry about us," Kelvi said. "This was the last of them in the fore deck. But damn, I didn't know they had any guns this big."

"Weak PDF gear," Malgo said. "Brought it up with them from Mozhel's surface when they volunteered to work the bilges. There were a lot of them in the aft under decks. Were."

"I bet they thought to take a civilian crewed vessel," Max said with a laugh. "They didn't expect the Balts to be here, did they?" The smile dropped from his face. "What about the arms Tariq brought up here? These guys didn't get them, did they?"

Mal smiled but didn't answer the question. "I'm kind of glad they were here. Nothing like a turf war to let everyone know who's in charge on the _Astra Bellum_." He looked Max over. "I figured you'd be in your exo-armour. What's up with that?"

"I was reworking it but stopped to work on the attack bike for that Inquisitor and his space marine," Max said. "Now, about the arms brought onboard…"

Malgo smiled a little wider. "The Molossian came onboard with us," he said. "He held the cargo bay with a she-Sergeant from one of the drop regiments and some little warrior girl we picked up from the Null Bay on Alamonde." Malgo glanced between the two Squats then said, "Not surprisingly, word over the comms is he massacred them. None of them had anything heavy enough to penetrate his armour."

"I could drink to that," Max said to Malgo. "And you look like you could use a beer."

"Sounds good to me," Malgo answered. He glanced down at the canines around his feet. "Boys, are you hungry?" The canines perked up. Malgo pointed to the bilge worker corpses and said "Dinner!"


	14. Ch14 PMS E3 Turf War scene 4

?.999.M41  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Mache sector  
Mozhel system  
Navigator's Quarters of the _Astra Bellum_ in high orbit over Mozhel Prime

Altira and Tariq walked side by side down the dim corridor in the Navigator's Quarters of the _Astra Bellum_. They approached a "T" with two people standing guard over a hatch at the end, each dressed in blue and gold. On the left was a man in blue and gold robes with a short crop of red hair and a red beard. Red scales covered his hands and made a trail up under his sleeves. But that was incidental to the closed eye in the middle of his forehead marking him as a Navigator. On the right was a woman with black hair armoured in a gold flak vest with a blue helmet. A laspistol was on her hip and a chainaxe in her hands.

"Who's this?" Tariq asked Altira.

"Navigator Darius Arnborn and his wife," she answered. "They are guarding the entrance to Marisol's chamber. "The spouses of the Arnborn Navigators typically act as bodyguards but Marisol has not yet wed."

"I thought they had to breed with other Navigators," Tariq said. "Darius' wife looks normal."

"She is normal," Altira answered. "The Arnborn occasionally breed with their spouses, but only after they have produced offspring through their Navigator breeding program."

"Oh," Tariq answered. _I never thought of that_, he added as they reached the "T".

The two bodyguards moved in front of the hatch. "The Matriarch is not taking visitors," the woman said as she slapped the axe handle into her palm.

"I'm not a visitor," Tariq snapped back. "The _Astra Bellum_ belongs to me." Neither moved in response to his demand. _Well, that didn't work_, Tariq thought. _What now?_ Tariq thought for a moment, then a memory popped into his head. _The Tech-Priests who left didn't like the Navigator interfaces of the Astra Bellum. I wonder what those interfaces connect to?_ He smiled and spoke. "I was running through the _Astra Bellum_'s circuits and would like to add this to the list of things I'm already hiding from the Mechanicus." He heard a small gasp and saw Altira's jaw drop out of the corner of his eye.

The two guards looked at each other for a moment.

The lights of the corridor went completely dark and then the air was filled with the sound of the hatch lock disengaging. The optical cybernetics in Tariq's eyes adjusted, soaking in as much light as possible. Everything remained black. He reached over and grabbed Altira's shoulder where he knew her to be. She jumped at his touch. "I got you," he said.

Air rushed and light began to show in a purple ray as the hatch slowly swung open.

Within was a large chamber filled with colors. Tariq recognized the images of the celestial bodies of the Mozhel system. The star. Mozhel Prime. _They're so clear_, he thought. I've never seen such clear holo-picts before. Purple streams filled the chamber. And the far bulkhead was a mass of blackness.

Tariq stepped inside and pulled Altira after him.

Once inside, several of the purple streams parted to reveal a woman in blue pants and a white blouse sitting cross-legged on the deck with her back to them. Her full long red hair trailed down her back, nearly touching the deck. A black headband held her hair in place and covered her forehead. It was Marisol Arnborn, Chief Navigator of the _Astra Bellum_.

_What's that?_ Tariq asked himself as he noticed more than a score small stones floating around the Navigator's head. More stones slowly moved in the distance too. "Hello again, Mari," Tariq said. He waited for her to respond but she didn't. _Does she even know we're standing here? _Tariq asked himself.

"Yu had a vision," Tariq said. "A great rift is going to open from the Warp and swallow Mozhel and everything else in the area up with it. We need to get out of here fast."

Marisol raised her hands and pointed to the blackness on the far bulkhead. Tariq noticed the slight red scaling she had, similar to that of Darius outside the berthing chamber. "The Blackness," she said. "It has arrived and madness lies within. The Astronomican lies beyond but it has been extinguished. It is no more. I cannot see it to guide us through the Warp."

Tariq glanced over his shoulder at Altira. She visibly shivered. "Emperor protect us," she whispered.

"That's not good, is it?" he whispered to Altira and then smirked at her. Her stomach and then her throat quivered and she clenched her lips together. _She looks like she's about to hurl_, Tariq thought.

Tariq glanced around again and what he saw before him slipped into place in his mind with the actions of the Tech-Priests. "But this wasn't made by human hands," he said. "And I'm guessing it was made before the Astronomican lit the void."

"You are correct on both counts Commander," Marisol formally answered. "These are not spirit stones, but they are a wraithbone configuration fashioned by Eldar hands. I call them runestones but I do not know the proper name for them. I cast them forth and they take up orbits. They allow a degree of intuitive Navigation," she finished.

"Excellent," Tariq said. "Now, we need to make for Galvon immediately."

"Do not think to demand of me," Marisol snapped back. "I Navigate and my choices determine the life and death of this crew as well as me and you." She paused then added in a quieter voice, "My clan is one who has lived at and beyond the edge of the Imperium for generations. I am skilled in Navigating at the edges of the Emperor's light and beyond. The darkness beyond his Grace is not unknown to me. I will attempt to reach Galvon by whatever route the stones lead me to believe is the safest. That route may be swift or it may take a fortnight."

"Carry on," Tariq said and wheeled about. He immediately walked out of the berthing chamber. He heard Altira scurrying behind him, trying to keep up.

The hatch slammed shut behind them and the corridor instantly lit up in bright white light.

"Back to the transit-car and to the bridge," Tariq said.

"You are a man whose walked his whole life on a planet," Altira said. "You don't know what we could face in a Warp rift. It could be worse than death. It could be our eternal damnation."

"I've heard stories," Tariq said. "A rift is opening whether we choose to enter the Warp or not. Will knowing and acting scared make this ship safer?" Tariq asked her.

Altira shook her head no.

"Then I don't care," Tariq added. "I'll cross that span if I reach it." He reached down to his MIU and adjusted it. "Sho, meet me on the bridge. Mal, carry on until you've put the mutineers down permanently."

Tariq turned back to Altira and said, "We have everything we need. A freshly fueled and provisioned vessel. An Astropath who gave us the warning we needed to survive. And technology designed to allow us to navigate the Warp without the aid of the Astronomican."

Tariq smiled and added, "The Emperor protects." He laughed to himself. _That's what I'm told anyway._


	15. Ch15 PMS E5 Turf War scene 5

?.999.M41  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Mache sector  
Mozhel system  
Bridge of the _Astra Bellum_ in high orbit over Mozhel Prime

A Great Rift opened in the Universe. Reality was breached and the Warp flowed through, bringing Chaos with it. The denizens of Mozhel Prime, already cowering from the devastation wrought by the Alamonde Platform's impact, were transfixed by the purple light which filled the sky.

With it came their doom.

But the _Astra Bellum_ did not wait on the rift. Once its plasma drives became fully energized the ancient vessel powered through the Mozhel system toward a jump point. The voidship sped past asteroid fields and other stations which filled the star system.

And the writhing arms of the Warp chased after it.

The bridge of the _Astra Bellum_ was both full beyond normal measure and simultaneously quiet as the void. _Jacqueveka seems to have calmed everything down_, Tariq said to himself as he scanned the bridge once more from his perch on the dais of the Command Throne beside the seated Captain. The crew moved with both fear and urgency but also with order. First Mate Altira watched over them like a Commissar, shouting a command here and there. _She's cute like that_, Tariq laughed to himself. _Sho's got a swollen lip_, Tariq noted with surprise. _I feel sorry for whoever did that._ Then, upon further reflection, _No, I don't_.

Tariq's eyes drifted to the trio which stood out from all others. Everyone moving in the bridge gave them a very wide berth.

The Molossian stood there, a giant in power armour which towered over all around him. An ancient morningstar which generated a power field was mag-locked to his back and a bolt pistol was on his hip. Gore covered his boots and blood was spattered on his otherwise black armour. Tariq's eyes locked for a moment onto the numeral emblazoned upon the Molossian's right pauldron, a High Gothic "I" with three crossbars and an overlain skull-and-crossbones. _Where's the Inquisitor?_ Tariq asked himself. On each side of the giant stood a female warrior. To the Molossian's left was the young girl who had fled from the Null Bay of the Alamonde Orbital Platform with Tariq and his friends. _I never got her name_, Tariq thought to himself. He looked her over for a moment. She was dressed in the same black armoured skirt and knee-high black boots from earlier with her long black braid of hair running down her back. She appeared even more tiny by standing next to the Molossian. The plasma rifle slung over her shoulder was nearly as big as she was. On her hip was what appeared to be a sword. A second glance told Tariq it was simply the Molossian's combat knife. _I really do feel sorry for whoever had to face her_, Tariq laughed to himself. He smiled at the little girl. She stared at him for a moment, confusion on her face, and then forced a tiny smile back. Tariq's eyes then turned to the lithe woman on the Molossian's right. _Tristine_, he sighed to himself. Her long blonde hair had been pulled into a tail that trailed from beneath her Sergeant's cap and her blue trooper uniform was in immaculate shape for having been fighting alongside the other two. A saber was on her hip. _I wonder where that came from?_ Tariq asked himself. _Maybe I can get lucky tonight_. He locked onto her green eyes and smiled at her. She smiled back for an instant and then her rounded face turned to a scowl and her eyes squinted at him. _What in blazes brought that hostility on?_ Tariq asked himself in shock.

Tariq felt a nudge on his arm. He glanced over to see Jacqueveka looking at him.

"You're the Commander," Jacqueveka said. "You might want to say something."

Tariq nodded in response. "First Mate Jacqueveka," he snapped. Altira quickly turned to him. "Patch my MIU into the vox so I can speak to the whole ship."

"Aye, Commander," she quickly replied. Altira nodded to an officer at a console beside her. He quickly punched a few commands into his controls.

"I am Tariq al Tiri," he began. "The High Lords of Terra have named me Rogue Trader and awarded me a Warrant to travel the stars in the name of the Emperor and I have been given command of the _Astra Bellum_ to do so." He paused to allow his words to sink in to the thousands of his crew who were listening. "There was a mutiny onboard for those who did not know. It has been put down. But there is more. A terrible calamity has struck the Mozhel system. A great rift has opened, connecting the Warp with the star systems we inhabit." Tariq paused once again. "However, thanks to the Emperor's Grace, we have our Salvation. The _Astra Bellum_'s machine spirit has been appeased and its plasma drive is performing at a higher level than it has in millennia. Soon, we will reach the jump point."

"We have been gifted with unique machines designed specifically to manage the difficulties lain before us and have been likewise gifted with loyal Navigators whose expertise is perfectly suited to our needs." Tariq looked about the bridge and took a deep breath. "The Emperor protects," he finished.

A small round of applause came from the officers staring in front of him.

"So, it seems that a decision regarding your interim service will need to be postponed," Tariq added. "But, for now, we must see to the requirements of my Warrant," Tariq added. "Our first stop will be in the voidstations of the nearby Galvon Interstellar Debris Field. We have already entered the Warp and should arrive there in ten Terran standard hours."

Tariq nodded at Altira after he finished. "And the transmission to the crew is terminated," she said.

At that moment, a squawk came over the vox loud enough for all to hear.

"Lord Tariq," said the monotone voice of Magos Orlok. "I am monitoring the readings from the Warp sensors as well as those from the Navigator interfaces." There was a slight pause and then the monotone voice continued. "I have determined that the Galvon system will be overtaken by the opening rift in seven Terran standard hours. At our current rate, it will overtake the _Astra Bellum_ in two standard hours."

**The End**

**of**

**Turf War**

**Episode 3 of the 4 part pilot mini-series to On the Edge**


	16. Ch16 PMS E4 The Emperor Protects scene 1

?.999.M41  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Mache sector  
Galvon Interstellar Debris Field  
Bridge of the _Astra Bellum_ en route to York's End Wayfarer station

The _Astra Bellum_ navigated around the edges of the great roiling Warp rift for five Terran standard days, buffeted by the torrent at every turn. Upon conclusion of the fifth day, the rift diminished into nothingness and the Warp itself became relatively calm, yet the Astronomican remained black. In the absence of the His holy light, Marisol continued to guide the vessel intuitively using the Runecaster Navigator Interface. On the ninth Terran standard day, the Astronomican once again lit the void as the Astra Bellum reached the edge of the Galvon Interstellar Debris Field and entered it.

Sho stood atop the dais of the Command Throne to the Astra Bellum in simple, yet luxurious, clothing. Her black leather pants and riding jacket had been replaced by new blue pants and a long-sleeved blue blouse with a silver collar and cuffs, the colours of House al Tiri, but her black leather riding boots she kept on her feet. She wore a three-part headset, a muff over each ear and a mouthpiece in front of her lips. _Damn, I really want to sit in that chair_, she told herself with a laugh as she stared at the Command Throne itself. She turned her head away to the Command Console. Martin Jacqueveka, the interim Captain and his daughter Altira, the interim First Mate of the _Astra Bellum_ stood there. _Tariq understands the ebb and flow of power_, she told herself. _It was a wise move to have Orlok install a dual command linkage so that Jacqueveka can pilot the ship from somewhere besides the Command Throne and leave it for him. _Her lips spread into a small smile. _At least Orlok was wrong about Yu's great rift overtaking us. I'm certain that grates on his ego._ While the Captain and his daughter hunkered down over their console, Sho's thoughts turned to Tariq. _What in blazes has he been doing in that mobile laboratorium he built around the training reactor?_ As soon as she asked herself the question, she knew the answer. _He must have found some sort of technical inspiration. I wonder what he will have come up with this time? Another water board that floats on air?_

Altira looked up at Sho.

"Mistress," the First Mate said. "We are being hailed by York's End. They demand we identify ourselves and state our business."

"Patch me in," Sho said.

A moment later, Altira answered, "You are on the vox-link."

"Greetings, York's End," Sho said. "I am Shoshanna Rhothen, personal seneschal to the starship _Astra Bellum's_ legendary Master and Commander himself, the Rogue Trader Tariq al Tiri," Sho formally stated. _Why did I agree to use those exact words?_ Sho asked herself as she finished the sentence. "We have brought the Zundapp clan for the purpose of trade…and the possibility of inter-stronghold marriages."

There was a pause on the other end, then a response from a feminine voice.

"I don't know who this legendary Tariq is but I am familiar with the Zundapp clan," she said. "I am Ysabel Mordant, Steward of York's End until a new Council of Five has been selected and I grant permission for a shuttle to ferry members of your crew and the Zundapp clan to the docking bay."

"Excellent, your Stewardship," Sho responded. _Stewardship?_ _Is that even an actual word or title?_ She thought for a moment and then added, "We will send a shuttle shortly. Shoshanna Rhothen and the _Astra Bellum_, out."

Static filled the air from the severed vox-link.

"Does he always leave you to make his merchant dealings?" Altira asked Sho.

"Not always," she answered. "But he often does."

Sho looked at the band on her right wrist, then reached and made an adjustment to it with her left hand. "Tariq," she said into the mouthpiece. "We have been contacted by York's End. The Steward has given approval for us to send a shuttle."

"Excellent," crackled Tariq's voice in her ears from the vox-link. "I figured the Steward would need to ask the Council's permission, but maybe not. I guess the mention of the legendary Rogue Trader Tariq al Tiri was enough all by itself."

"She said she hasn't heard of you," Sho answered with glee.

"I guess I'll have to remedy that, then," Tariq added with a laugh.

"Do you not stop?" Sho snapped.

"You know the answer to that," Tariq laughed. "Meet me in the port landing bay in one standard hour. Bring Yu too," he added. "I believe there is an ancient, Astropathic Choral Chamber on York's End which hasn't been used in centuries and I would like to get a look at the tech in action if I could. Maybe we could use her ability to send Astropathic messages as a trade piece."

"What about the Zundapp clan?" Sho asked.

"I'll alert Max and Kelvi," Tariq quickly answered. "See if you can find Tristine. The presence of a little Imperial military muscle might aid our diplomatic efforts." There was a pause from his end. "Why don't you see if you can talk the Molossian into coming too. Some real Imperial muscle might go a long way into making the point they need to solidly reaffirm their allegiance."

"See if I can talk him into coming?" Sho asked. "What the fuck do you want me to say to him?"

"I don't know," Tariq said. "I'm sure you'll think of something, you always do. Tariq out."

"Sho out," she answered. _Why me? Why is it always me?_


	17. Ch17 PMS E4 The Emperor Protects scene 2

?.999.M41  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Mache sector  
Galvon Interstellar Debris Field  
Pilot's Cabin of stellar shuttle, en route to York's End wayfarers' station

Sho looked behind her before moving forward.

On the port side of the shuttle sat Mac and Kelvi in their crimson carapace armour and each was heavily armed, Max with his chain axe and Kelvi with his chain maul. _Expecting trouble?_ Sho silently asked. On the starboard side, sat Yu and Tristine. The Sergeant was dressed in her trooper blues with her long blonde hair tucked neatly under her Sergeant's cap. _Always immaculate. How does she do it?_ Sho asked herself. Her focus turned to the Astropath. Yu sat silently in a long blue sleeveless dress which clung to her curves and had a revealing neckline. Someone had braided the Astropath's hair on top her head. The blind Astropath's solid white almond shaped eyes stared back at Sho as if she could see. _Are you reading my thoughts?_ Sho asked the Astropath in her thoughts. _Did Tariq suggest that neckline in case you need to flirt with the Council? _The Astropath gave no indication she was reading Sho's mind. _You really suggested it for your own benefit, didn't you, Bro?_ Sho asked Tariq in her thoughts with a laugh_. Will anyone ever put a leash on you?_

Sho glanced beyond the four and toward the closed hatch which contained the complement of guards Malgo had chosen from the Balts, then she took a deep breath and opened the hatch in front of her and looked into the Pilot's Cabin.

The Molossian was seated on the left in the pilot's chair in heavy black power armour with his Impulse Unit plugged into the console. _Is he named Molossus or is he the Molossian?_ Sho asked herself as her mind began to ramble. _Do I dare ask him? Does he ever take that helmet off?_ _I don't even know what chapter he belongs to._ Beside him in the co-pilot's chair sat Tariq in a blue suit of power armour with silver edges and a laspistol mounted into each forearm. The suit's helmet was mag-locked to his left hip leaving exposed Tariq's shiny copper-coloured bald head. On his right hip was a long punch dagger in a sheathe. _When'd he get that?_ To his right, his blue grav board-shield was leaned against a console. "I thought you hated that suit of power armour, Tariq," Sho said. "I acquired it for you three Terran standard years ago and you never wear it."

"Thank you, Shoshanna Rhothen," said the Molossian, his voice amplified through his vox-grille.

"Thank me?" Sho asked. "For what?"

"I had not yet reached a conclusion as to the intelligence of your Lord, Tariq al Tiri," the Molossian answered. "You have answered that for me." His helmeted head turned partly toward Tariq. "Your armour is your friend. It will still protect you when you are unaware of an assailant or trap. It will save your life," he added. But you have to wear it." His helmet turned fully to the right. "Whether or not I mean insubordination is of no consequence, Rogue Trader al Tiri, but you are an idiot. Only idiots leave their armour behind. As a named servant of the Emperor, you have a duty to keep yourself alive to perform His work. Leaving behind superior protection is a dereliction of that duty that will most likely lead to your death."

"I'm a pragmatist, honoured Astartes," Tariq answered back. "Unlike the superior technology you have donned, this lesser Mark of armour has a power supply which has an upper range of two Terran standard hours of operation. Without power, I would be practically immobilized in this suit. A supply of two standard hours duration is insufficient for most missions; therefore, I have not worn it."

"The duration of this mission will exceed two standard hours," Molossus flatly stated. "Why did you choose to wear it now but not before?"

"I upgraded my suit," Tariq added with a laugh. The Molossian simply stared at him. "It's a work in progress but my new power supply should last for years."

"You upgraded it?" Molossus flatly asked.

_Carefu_l, Sho thought. _We don't know what type of relationship this guy has with the Mechanicus and he isn't just any guy._ She opened her mouth to tell him to shut up, but was too late.

"Admit it," Tariq said. "At one time or another, you and your Brothers were in the field of battle and had a crucial piece of gear breakdown. One of you jimmied it to work and you're still alive, to serve Him, because one of you did it." Tariq smiled.

The Molossian just stared at him.

_Oh, please no_, thought Sho. _He didn't mean it._

There was no slowing down Tariq's mouth.

"I came to the realization long ago that there are no machine spirits," Tariq said. "Just parts that fit together, parts slaved to protocols that control them and utilize them according to the Laws of the Universe. If Mankind could just figure that out too, relearn what we used to know, we could become Masters of the Galaxy again." He paused a moment, then added, "Maybe that's what I'll do as a Rogue Trader and servant of the Emperor. I'll crusade to teach people that logic and science is our path to Salvation amongst the stars. And I'll do it in the name of the Emperor."

Sho froze with fear. _Science. Why'd you use that word from the training programs?_ she asked herself in fear. _No one uses it._ She turned her focus to the Molossian. He sat in the pilot's chair like a stone. His torso faced forward but his helmeted head was turned to Tariq on the right.

"You sound like an Iterator I once fought alongside," the Molossian said with an unusually thoughtful tone. "He drew people to him with his charisma but was well-versed in logic and debate in addition to being a skilled warrior."

"What's an Iterator," Sho asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.

"One who iterates," snapped Tariq.

Unable to control herself, Sho reached forward and smacked Tariq on top his shaved bald head with her palm. Laughter erupted behind Sho from Max and Kelvi.

Tariq let out a sigh.

"Perhaps I have misjudged you, Rogue Trader," Molossus said. "You have apparently surrounded yourself with honest friends instead of sycophants. Such can be of importance when in the middle of your own cult of personality. I understand this from experience."

"People followed you in a cult of personality?" Tariq asked, intrigued.

"No," the Molossian snapped.

"Well, what is an Iterator?" Sho asked.

The Molossian didn't answer.

"Anyway," Tariq said. "I'm glad you thought my mission important enough to come along and offer me your protection."

"I did not come to guard you or protect your mission, Rogue Trader," Molossus flatly stated. "I came to protect Yu."

Tariq looked over at the Molossian for a moment. "That reminds me, honoured Astartes," Tariq added. "You took Yu to the Null Bay in service to an Inquisitor. Inquisitor Kaine. He was to accompany you onboard the _Astra Bellum_ but he did not. Yet his gear is onboard my vessel. Where is he and what is to be done with his gear?"

"Regarding the first question, the Inquisitor was an idiot who was derelict in his duty." The Molossian paused allowing the implication of his use of the words 'idiot' and 'dereliction' to set in. "Regarding the second…Enough talk!" the Molossian forcefully answered. His helmeted head swiveled back around to fully face the fore of the cabin.

As if on cue, the readings of several instruments on the console in front of Tariq jumped up. "We are approaching York's End," Tariq said. "Let me see if I can activate the external telescopic cameras for a view." He made some adjustments and a holo-pict appeared above him.

The station was larger than typical for a waystation and also had what looked to be a seven kilometre voidship built into its structure on one end. Tariq pointed to the voidship segment of the station. "I'd bet money that the Squat clan built their vessel into York's End right there," he said. On the other end rose a high spire. "And I'd bet anything that spire is the Choral Chamber," he added. "What's this? There are a lot of high temp readings and some points of gas leakage. York's End has seen better days," Tariq finished.

"Those readings indicate firefights within the structure," the Molossian said. "Within the past twelve standard hours," he added. "Go in ready for battle."

"Ysabel said she is the Interim Steward until the next Council is selected," Sho offered. "Maybe they got axed last night."


	18. Ch18 PMS E4 The Emperor Protects scene 3

?.999.M41  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Mache sector  
Galvon Interstellar Debris Field  
Docking bay of York's End wayfarers' station

The stellar shuttle crossed through the debris field following a route proscribed by ancient signal beacons and finally completed its approach to York's End. Once there, the shuttle awaited the Jovian docking bay port to open, then floated in and landed upon the deck. Several standard minutes later, the docking bay had re-pressurized and the shuttle's hatch opened, allowing its crew and passengers to exit onto the docking bay deck.

The docking bay was clean and well-ordered with a handful of stellar vessels parked on its deck. Many individuals in non-environmental clothing, some workers in space-suits and others in mining suits, roamed about the bay performing various tasks. But they all stopped to look at the group moving across the bay. Most went back to work after a few seconds, but some just stood there staring. A couple even ran off.

The Molossian led the way in his black power armour with Tariq on his right, gracefully floating above the deck, his head raised to a height equal to that of the space marine by the grav-board his boots were mag-locked onto. Behind them strode Sho in her blue al Tiri greatcoat and behind her strode the blind Astropath in her blue sleeveless dress alongside Tristine in her trooper blues. And bringing up the rear were Max and Kelvi in their red carapace armour and bearing their weapons.

At the end of the group's path awaited a single woman.

Tariq looked her over. She was tall and long-limbed, but thick and dressed in a long tan greatcoat with no markings. Her head was topped with a short bob of platinum hair and she had a rounded face with deep blue eyes. _Wow_, he thought. _She's got a little more muscle than I normally like, but still. What would she be like in bed?_ He laughed to himself. _Well, if I'm going to find that out, I'd better introduce myself._

Tariq sped ahead of the Molossian on his board.

The woman, simultaneously stepped back and reached into her coat. She pulled out a lasrifle and aimed it at Tariq's exposed head. He half-spun to the side and came to a stop, floating in the air. "Don't move," she said.

"I'm the Rogue Trader, Tariq al Tiri, legendary Master and Commander of the _Astra Bellum_," he proudly proclaimed. "And I am here on official Imperial business as well as providing transport for the Zundapp clan."

She looked Tariq over for a moment and then at those following him. Her gaze lingered on the Molossian for a moment and then looked over each of the others. _I know I had her attention but did the Molossian earn no more than an extra second notice from her?_ Tariq asked himself.

"I see you, Tariq al Tiri," she said. "the legendary Master and Commander of the _Astra Bellum_." A fair amount of contempt was evident in her tone. She proceeded without the contempt. "I am Ysabel Mordant, Steward of York's End. I see you and you are welcome to York's End." She quickly stuffed the lasrifle back into her greatcoat and crossed her hands over her chest making the Sign of the Aquila, with her palms and fingers crossed over to signify the wings and her thumbs crossed to signify the dual heads of the Imperial Aquila.

Tariq quickly made the Sign of the Aquila in response but Ysabel had already walked past him.

"I see you honoured Astartes of the Death Watch," Ysabel said as she came face to face with Molossus and made the Sign to him also. "Suffer not the alien to live," she added.

"Suffer not the Alien to live," Molossus answered. "You may call me Molossus."

Ysabel nodded at the Molossian then glanced past him at the others. She turned around and walked past Tariq as the Molossian followed. "I must apologize for drawing my rifle on you," she said to Tariq. "That board you are flying upon looks like something an Eldar would ride. But you are with him," she added and nodded over her shoulder. "That is good enough for me. Now follow me and I will take you to the Sterner clan."

"Well, he's actually with me," Tariq mumbled to himself as he activated his board and caught back up to her. "So, what happened here? Our readings showed signs of battle. You have a mutiny?"

"Psykers," Ysabel answered. "They just awoke all at once last night. Night before, there were no signs of psychic activity and hadn't been for three years. It's a small community." She paused and then said, "Four were put down pretty easily. Three more were not. They tried to take the old Choir Chamber. I fought alongside the Council and put two of them down, but not without casualties. The third, a young woman, got away. Now, the entire Council is gone. I hope there are no more who we haven't found yet."

"Wow," Tariq responded. "After we make our trade arrangements with the Sterners, would you take me to the Choir Chamber? If need be, my Astropath could send a message to be relayed to wherever you may need it sent."

Ysabel looked over at him for a moment with her dark eyes locked onto his. "Thank you, Rogue Trader al Tiri," she said. "It has been long since I sent a message beyond this station."

Tariq smiled to himself for a moment then glanced over his shoulder at Sho. She was looking all about at everything they passed but his eyes were drawn past her to Tristine. Her green eyes were locked on him and she did not look happy. _Why is she always hating on me?_ Tariq asked himself. "Sho, contact the _Astra Bellum_ and tell Malgo to bring the stellar freighter. We may have some trading to do. One more thing, tell him to leave the canines behind but bring the little one."

"Yes, legendary Master and Commander Tariq al Tiri," Sho responded with snark that brought a giggle from both Tristine beside her as well as from Ysabel beside him.

Tariq shrugged and turned back around to the front. "Lead the way," he told Ysabel.

They quickly made their way to a hatch and passed through it, leaving the docking bay. After several more minutes walking, they reached an enormous gate, a blast door that resembled the Jovian hatch to the docking bay. Ysabel held her palm over a box on the bulkhead and the giant door slid open, revealing an enormous space with the same width and height but which was only a handful of metres deep. And, at the end of those handful of metres, was another Jovian blast door matching the one through which they had just passed.

_This really is a ship built onto the station_, Tariq realized. _I wonder if the Sterners can still separate it?_ He laughed. _If I know my Squats, and I do, they most certainly can._

Just as Tariq completed the thought, the second blast door slid open.

He floated on through the door alongside Ysabel with Molossus following and the others behind the space marine. Waiting on the other side were a handful of Squats in black and silver carapace armour. Beyond them were three score more also in black and silver carapace armour.

Ysabel and Molossus stood side by side with Tariq floating by them while Sho, Yu, and Tristine moved in behind them. Max and Kelvi happily strode forward to the handful of Squats awaiting them, two men with long beards and three women.

"Greetings, Maximilian Stein," said the tallest of the three Squat women as she stepped forward. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you. May your ancestors sing in perpetuity."

Kelvi instantly froze in place.

"And greetings to you, Olga Sterner," Max replied. "It is a pleasure to finally meet the Matriarch of the clan who has supplied me with such delightful, and illegal, liquors. May your ancestors sing, and drink, in perpetuity."

The two Squats came together in an embrace. After another moment, the others joined them. The Squats huddled together for a few minutes talking quietly and then Kelvi walked back over to Tariq.

"We have an interesting proposition for you," Kelvi said. "It seems that Magos Veridine never made it to Mozhel and stopped in the Galvon system instead, looking for the Sterners. He should be here in a few hours and they are ready to pull out and leave. It seems they wish to talk to him as little as we do." He smiled at Tariq. "We had planned on staying here and joining their stronghold but we just talked them into leaving with us."

"Outstanding," Tariq said with a smile. _Two Squat clans to work under me…and a Magos Explorator wanting to see both as well as my 'archeotech' discoveries_. He contemplated his predicament for a moment, then said, "Tell them to get ready to leave at any time."

"Will do, legendary Commander," Kelvi said and then laughed aloud as he turned away.

Ysabel smirked and raised a platinum eyebrow at Tariq. He shrugged and smiled back at her. "Now, will you take us to this Choral Chamber? I hope to search through the datavault archives of deep void messages."


	19. Ch19 PMS E4 The Emperor Protects scene 4

?.999.M41  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Mache sector  
Galvon Interstellar Debris Field  
Astropathic Choir Chamber of York's End wayfarers' station

After walking across the entirety of York's End, Tariq and his companions finally reached the outer hall of the Astropathic Choir Chamber. Ysabel waved her hand over the box on the bulkhead next to the door. A feminine voice squawked from the box. "Greetings Steward Ysabel. Your appearance is appreciated." The door slid open and Ysabel walked in.

Tariq floated in behind her followed by Sho and Yu and Tristine. Molossus brought up the rear.

Tariq looked over the hall. It was small but filled with motion. More than a score of girls was scattered about the rectangular hall and moving about. Some barely more than toddlers while others were perhaps old enough to be just entering their teens. Some in skirts and some in pants. One small girl held a doll nearly as big as she was, a doll made entirely of fabric and dressed in the signature black power armour of the Sisters of Battle with an enormous golden fleur de lis on the breastplate as well as a thick platinum braid of hair that seemed impossibly long for the doll. Two girls jumped up and down while holding hands in the corner. A couple older ones even had a knife or bolter on a hip. Others were reading books and one pre-teen was reading to a younger girl sitting on her lap. _What in blazes is going on here?_ Tariq asked himself.

Ysabel looked at him and smiled. She leaned close to him and said, "They are my project. So many out here never have the opportunity to learn the Righteousness of serving the Emperor." She looked him in the eyes. "It is my hope that York's End can be brought into the fold without bloodshed. Or, that enough can be brought to Righteousness to win the day if bloodshed is necessary."

"I'm with you on that," Tariq confessed. "My Warrant had a requirement that I proceed here first and see that this station, and the others in the IDF, formally and provably declare their allegiance to the Imperium." He smiled back at her. "I think I like your plan better than what has been dictated to me." He finished with a frown. "But, as a change of subject, could you make a doll for me like the one that girl has?" Tariq asked as he pointed to the young girl with the Sister of Battle doll.

Ysabel stared at him for a moment in complete surprise. "You want a doll?" she asked.

"It's not for me," Tariq said defensively. "It's for a straggler we picked up from the Alamonde Orbital Platform before leaving. Could you make the armour look primitive instead of like power armour? Make the hair black. And no fleur de lis."

"Sure," Ysabel answered. "If that's what you want." She continued to star at him with her deep blue eyes.

Tariq looked around to see Sho, Tristine, Yu, and Molossus staring at him. "What?" Tariq asked and then gave a shrug without waiting for an answer. He turned back to Ysabel. "Please give Yu what message you wish to send and show me the Chamber."

A few minutes later…

Tariq turned his head and looked about the Chamber. The rockrete deck was a simple unmarred black surface but the bulkheads were white marble and arranged in a hexagonal pattern. They stretched up and narrowed together before vanishing into the darkness. In the center rose a hexagonal dais. Above the dais, a single black hood hung from a silver spike by a cable. Tariq looked up and followed the spike until it disappeared into the darkness. _If only I'd had a couple of days, I could have had this board flying_, Tariq told himself. _Then I could go up there and take it all in myself._

He caught moving blue out of the corner of his sight and lowered his head to see Yu cut a path across the black rockrete surface as she approached the dais. Molossus stood like a stone ten metres from the dais.

Tariq turned to face Ysabel. "So, were you able to put everything you wanted to say into that message?" he asked.

"Not even close," Ysabel answered. "It has been so long…" She frowned. "Still, my message was not small and she took it all in, word for word. I suspect she is an exceptionally powerful Astropath." She glanced over to the nearest bulkhead. Sho was walking the Chamber's perimeter with a pict-corder in hand. "What is she doing?"

"She is taking pictures for Magos Orlok, the Tech-Priest who has given his service to my family," Tariq answered. "Naturally, most Tech-Priests are curious about technology and Orlok is not an exception. He has told me of his particular curiosity regarding psychic artefacts and I figured I would gather as much information as I could for him." Tariq paused for a moment, searching Ysabel's eyes for a clue as to what she thought of his actions but found none. "Perhaps he will personally visit if I give him enough to pique his curiosity."

"Interesting," Ysabel answered. "Did you say you wished to peruse our datavaults?"

"Yes," he answered with a smile. "Will you grant me permission?"

"That depends," she answered. "What are you looking for?"

"Anything," Tariq truthfully answered. "I have just received my Warrant and have no family history of traveling the stars." He thought for a moment, then concluded, _I better find something in this to make me look good enough for her to agree to this._ Inspiration struck him. "I simply hope to peruse the data and leave it up to the Emperor to show me the way if something of value exists."

"Good answer," Ysabel said. "Did you just make that up on the spot?"

"Yes," Tariq said with a smile. "And no. I really have no idea what I am looking for and that sounds like as good a tactic as any other I've considered." He sighed. "I just figure if I want to take a jab at something, I know not what, in the depths of the void, why not look for messages that have come in from the depths of the void."

"Follow me," Ysabel said and turned away, her greatcoat swirling a she did.

Tariq quickly followed her, silently floating on air. He looked at her platinum hair and her exposed neck and then looked lower. _Damnit_, Tariq said to himself. _I'm following her with a perfect view but she's wearing that damn loose coat_. She reached what appeared at first to be a seamless bulkhead but Tariq quickly noticed the outline of the door. Ysabel waved her hand over the door and it opened inward, leaving a dark void.

A white light burst into existence and filled the darkness.

Ysabel stepped in and to the left. Tariq floated in behind her.

The square chamber was small, but well lit. Each bulkhead, save the one through which they entered, was lined with a bank of cogitators. In the middle was a single podium with a dataslate built into its surface as well as an Impulse Unit port.

"I'm sorry, but I do not know how to awaken the machine spirit," Ysabel said.

Tariq smiled at her as he stepped off his shield-board. "Don't fret," he laughed. "I know a little about waking them up and singling lullabies to put them back to sleep," he added. Ysabel stared at him with a perplexed look. Tariq pulled a connector from the armour of his right arm and plugged it into the port on the podium. _Now, initiate decryption protocols_. He began going through a host of options with little success. _The older they are, the tougher they are_, Tariq said to himself. Suddenly, the dataslate display lit up. "Eureka," he said aloud and smiled at Ysabel.

Tariq quickly began downloading the messages into the datavault he had added to his armour. His mind froze as the info kept downloading. _That's odd_, he said to himself. He looked up at Ysabel as the information continued to download into his armour. "I can't seem to find the conversion between the Galvon IDF local chronology and the Terran standard." He looked at her for a moment, then added, "The current chronology says the local time is 992 thousandths through the year 999. Where is the official time translation? It is usually readily available but I haven't found it. I need that for determining the date of the messages I've downloaded."

Ysabel stared at him a moment. "Perhaps you are not as legendary as you believe," she said with a laugh. "There is no available translation because, without its own stellar system, the Galvon IDF operates on the Terran standard. A standard meticulously kept by these ancient cogitators."

Tariq stared at her for a moment and then quickly disconnected. "Follow me," he said as picked up his shield-board. He quickly exited the datavault with Ysabel on his tail. "Yu," he screamed. "I need your attention immediately!" Sho immediately stopped using her pict-corder and stared at him. Molossus turned toward him, one gauntlet on the handle to the bolt pistol on his hip, the other holding the handle to the power morningstar mag-locked to his back.

A low rumble filled the air.

"Explosions," snapped Molossus. "I'll stand over Yu. Cover the entrance."

"Yu," Tariq snapped. She removed her hood and looked at him. "The Blackness is still coming! You must send out a message to any that can hear you!"

Yu quickly replaced her hood. The lighting of the Chamber dimmed, as if she were drawing power from it. "The Blackness is coming!" she screamed. "All Astropaths must flee to the Null Bay! Please! Flee to the Null Bay!" Yu collapsed on top of the dais, the hood tearing free from her as she did. "Take me to the Null Bay," she whimpered.

The Molossian shifted his head back and forth between Yu and Tariq. "The Warp does funny things," he said, his voice amplified by his vox. He ran toward Yu and picked her up. "We need to leave now!"

Sho just stared at him and the Molossian.

"What's going on?" Ysabel demanded.

"We bypassed a Warp storm to get here almost a ten-day ago and thought it died out," he said. "According to my new calculations, I think it is still going strong and is on its way here."

Ysabel stared at him for a moment. "Hurry to secure your exit. I will gather my girls and meet you in the docking bay."

"See ya there," Tariq said with a smile. He quickly turned to Sho. "Contact Mal. Tell him to warn everyone they can and then to have the Balts take anything and everything useful they can. We're getting out of here."

Another explosion rumbled across the deck.


	20. Ch20 PMS E4 The Emperor Protects scene 5

?.999.M41  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Mache sector  
Galvon Interstellar Debris Field  
Outside Astropathic Choir Chamber of York's End wayfarers' station

The station lane had lost most of its lighting and was filled with piles of debris from the explosions. A thin haze filled the air and smoke still rose up from some of the debris piles. A handful of unarmoured corpses were scattered along the lane.

Tariq led the way, hanging to the lane's right side and its various portals instead of the middle, passing by various stacks of rubble. He had resorted to walking and was holding his board in his left hand as a shield. In his right, he held the punch dagger he had taken from the assassin he slept with in the Mache Titan lodgings. Those who had not already taken cover from the hostilities, scattered before him and the parade which followed. First came the Molossian carrying Yu over his left shoulder and his bolt pistol in right hand, ready to quickly take out any who may peer from their near side. Following him were Sho and Tristine, each with a laspistol in hand.

Gunfire erupted from their left.

Sho and Tristine dove to the ground and behind debris. Like lightning the Molossian whirled, placing his body between Yu on his shoulder and the gunfire. He fired once with his bolt pistol. Twice. The bullets exploded, killing their targets, unarmoured men with ballistic weapons who had barely been visible behind their own rubble piles. Tariq pointed his hand carrying the punch dagger toward a third. A laser blast emanated from the barrel of the laspistol mounted on his forearm. Then a second. A third. A fourth. The man fell to the ground, his head and unarmoured torso visible from around the rubble.

More explosions echoed along the deck.

"Watch your ammo," the Molossian snapped. "This isn't a target range where you can just grab another mag. Now move!"

Tariq quickly moved ahead, bouncing from debris pile to debris pile. "My pistol's tapped into my power pack," Tariq snapped over his shoulder. "I won't run out of ammo."

"Then lay down some suppression fire unless you think you are gonna overheat that pistol!" snapped the Molossian as he jumped behind a pile of debris alongside Tariq.

Tariq ran forward again, firing a couple blasts along the way. Gunfire hit his board-shield and blue arcs danced through the air in response. He moved just past another debris pile and stopped, then squatted behind his board-shield. Blue arcs of lightning danced across the shield's surface as it was struck by gunfire. A bullet hit Tariq's shoulder. One hit his leg.

He opened fire in return.

Laspistol blast followed laspistol blast. Then another. And another. _Did I get one?_ Tariq asked as he fired again. There was a small explosion, a bolt round. _Molossus got one_, Tariq laughed, then fired again and again. Another bolt round exploded and another bolt round exploded. _Two more for the big guy_. A bullet zinged off his helmet. _Wow_, Tariq thought as he shook his head and fired three more times.

Tariq glanced behind him and saw that the rest of his companions had made it behind the debris he had moved just past. He glanced ahead and saw a large gap til the next cover. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Molossus.

"I see you know what to do!" the space marine snapped through his vox-link. "Move and then give us cover!"

Tariq ran along the wide-open lane, then crouched behind his shield facing the left side of the lane with his back exposed to the right. Gunfire erupted from both sides. Blue lightning danced off the surface of his board-shield from the bullets striking it but bullets danced all around it too, from both sides. A first, a second, a third slammed into the back armour of his suit's power supply but bounced off. He began wildly firing his laspistol at those firing from the left side of the lane.

There was a single loud gunfire. A pain like fire erupted in Tariq's left arm as a particularly heavy bullet from the right side penetrated the protective armour. "Fuck!" he screamed but kept firing his laspistol.

A blast of air and pieces of rockrete slammed into his back as the roar of an explosion filled his ears.

The towering Molossian quickly ran past him with Yu over his shoulder and remaining close to the right side. _He threw a grenade_, Tariq dimly realized as he kept firing. A message flashed on the head's up display of his helmet. _Power generation levels rising_ Tariq kept firing his laspistol as Sho and Tristine ran behind him through the smoke left in the aftermath of the Molossian's grenade.

Gunfire and bolter fire came from up ahead.

_I guess I'd better catch up to them and help the Molossian out_, Tariq thought as he began to rise from his crouch. _POWER GENERATION OVERLOAD_ EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN _of atomantic arc reactor_ flashed on his HUD as his armour locked up. _Oh fuck_, Tariq screamed in his mind.

The gunfire and bolter fire exchange between Molossus and whatever renegades were dug in up ahead continued. And rapid gunfire commenced again at Tariq from the left side of the lane. Bullets bounced off his armour, again and again. And bullets bounced off his shield but, without the power from his armour, were not deflected. Then came the explosion of a bolt round. And a second. And a third. All the while the battle ahead continued unabated. Tariq forcefully twisted his head to look back from whence he came.

Walking toward him was an angel.

She was dressed in black power armour that formed itself around her curves and whose edges were gilded. The lower portion of a long crimson tabard emerged below her waist from between the armour's cuirass and its environmental sealing, hanging down nearly to her ankles. And on the tabard was a great gold fleur de lis. In her hand was a bolt pistol.

_A Sister of Battle_, Tariq said to himself with a smile. He quickly concentrated on resetting his armour's power supply. _A little embarrassing, but this is turning out to be a great day._ He completed the reset as the Sister walked overtop him and looked down at his crouched form. "Thank you, Sister Ysabel," Tariq said as he stood up.

The black armoured figure looked at him for a moment. Then turned her head toward the gunfire ahead. The bolter fire had stopped. "You need to have a Tech-Priest look at that," she said and ran off to the sounds of battle.

Tariq glanced back before following her.

More than a score girls were running toward him. The youngest, those just starting their teens, were helping the smaller ones, even carrying the smallest. Many held laspistols in their hands. Most had packs on their backs and they all looked scared. "We got cover ahead!" he yelled. "Stay behind me."

A few strides later he had reached the debris where his companions were taking cover alongside Ysabel with Yu lying on the ground whimpering. Before he could even say a word, the girls piled in behind him. The gunfire had stopped. Ysabel stepped around the debris pile and Tariq followed her.

Bodies were scattered everywhere.

Some were missing heads and others had huge holes where their chests should have been. Many were missing arms and legs too. Blood covered the rockrete deck from one side of the lane to the other. Molossus stood amongst the carnage with his power morningstar in hand, bolt pistol on his waist. "Grab Yu," he said to Tariq. "We must hurry to the shuttle." Gunfire and explosions continued echoing from down the lane. Molossus turned to a sound coming from an open portal.

Out stepped a copper-skinned man in a black synth-leather vest. His arms were a sleeve of tattoos topped by a hatchet and he held an autogun in his hands. "Don't fire Ysabel, girls!" Tariq shouted. "It's one of the Balts. My armsmen so to speak." Several more similarly dressed men followed the first along with one similarly dressed woman. Most had their hands and arms filled with a variety of good and small tech pieces. The others had guns in their hands. "Smart move," Tariq said aloud.

Ysabel turned toward him.

"Don't look at me," Tariq snapped. "Listen to the Molossian." He pointed his figure to where the Molossian had moved ahead, then sheathed his punch dagger and grabbed Yu off the deck, holding her limp body in his right arm and moving his board-shield in front of her. Ysabel immediately moved to follow the Molossian, followed by Tristine and Sho. Tariq allowed the girls to follow in their wake and brought up the rear.

The group passed by several more portals. There were scattered debris from explosions and also a number of corpses on the ground. Mostly however, there were Balts looting the station. In some places they were holding people at gunpoint while in others they were walking over fresh corpses with their hands full of goods. But, explosions and the sounds of gunfire had dissipated.

They reached the docking bay.

Gunfire erupted where there had been only the sounds of shuffling men loading items onto the stellar freighter only a moment before. Molossus and Ysabel quickly moved to take cover. Tariq handed Yu to a handful of the girls who had followed Ysabel and ran into the middle of the docking bay.

Balts were everywhere and diving for cover behind vessels and vehicles alike. Two lines of Balts stood out though. They were standing in the open and firing at each other. Two other "lines", once standing, were already on the deck with blood seeping from their wounds and moans escaping the lips of those few still alive. _What the blazes?_ Tariq asked himself. In another moment, the Balts shooting each other fell to the deck with blood pouring from their wounds like the other ones.

"There she is!" screamed one of the Balts.

An ebon-skinned woman with long curly black hair and dressed in a red robe rose up from the deck and into the air. Purple lightning danced at her fingertips and a shimmering purple haze surrounded her. The Balts turned their fire toward her. Bullets crashed into the field, purple flashes erupting on its surface with each impact. Three explosions with the impact of a bolt round. Tariq glanced back over his shoulder to see the power armoured Ysabel pointing her pistol at the woman.

Molossus stood beside her, morningstar in hand. "Go get her, Raiza!" he screamed, his voice amplified across the docking bay by his vox.

_Raiza?_ Tariq whipped back around.

The floating woman raised her hands. All the Balts near to her screamed and dropped their weapons then covered their ears and dropped to their knees. A few bullets fired from farther away bounced off her shield. A single short form ran through the men on their knees. She held the Molossian's combat knife like a sword and a plasma rifle nearly as big as her was on her back as she closed with the floating woman. _Raiza? Is that her name?_ _What the fuck does she think she's doing?_

The woman turned her head down toward the little running girl and laughed.

"Hey bitch!" Tariq screamed, amplified by his vox. "Over here!" The woman's head turned toward Tariq and she leveled a malevolent stare at him. Pain filled his head and he thought his ears would explode.

The next moment, the psyker screamed and plummeted to the ground. The purple haze around her vanished. Three steps carried the Novice-Sister into her, combat knife first, as the woman sat upright. The knife pierced clean through the woman's chest and poked out her back. Raiza put her foot on the woman's chest and pushed her down to the ground, pulling the blade out as she did so.

"I got the witch!" Raiza screamed.

The Balts who had fallen to their knees in pain began to rise. One of the other Balts from across the docking bay yelled, "Did she say she got the bitch?!"

"No!" yelled back another. "She said she got the witch!" answered the Balt with emphasis on the word 'witch'.

"Same difference!" screamed another. Laughter erupted from the Balts.

Tariq laughed aloud too and ran over to Raiza. He raised his gauntleted power armoured right hand up high and said, "Lay some skin on me Sister!"

Raiza slid back into a guard and held her 'sword' drawn back and waist high, ready to stab forward into Tariq.

"I think she's fixing to cut ya up, Tariq" yelled one of the Balts in laughter. Others echoed in.

Tariq laughed at Raiza. "It's a celebration," he said. "You raise your hand too and we slap hands together." She stared at him with mistrust. "Come on!" he yelled and pulled his hand back a little farther for a swing.

"Do it!" yelled the voices of Sho and Ysabel from behind him. Tariq glanced back at them for a moment. Sho had a smile on her face as did Ysabel who had removed her helmet. Molossus standing like a statue and Tristine stared with a blank face.

Tariq turned back to the Novice-Sister.

Raiza lowered her sword into one hand and jumped as high as she could, swinging her hand forward. Tariq met it forcefully, almost knocking her over. She gave him a confused smile.

"Now!" Tariq screamed through his vox as he looked around. "Warp storm is on its way. I don't know how much time we have. Let's grab whatever else we can and get the fuck out of here."


	21. Ch21 PMS E4 The Emperor Protects scene 6

?.999.M41  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Mache sector  
Galvon Interstellar Debris Field  
Bridge of the _Astra Bellum_ leaving York's End Wayfarer station

The Balts cleaned forth a lot of loot from York's End and then the shuttle and freighter both exited the docking bay to return to the _Astra Bellum_. Shortly thereafter, the enormous Squat vessel attached to York's End, the Sterner clan Stronghold, detached itself from the wayfarers' station and moved to meet the cruiser. Following the warnings given on the station three more voidships which had been operating outside of Imperial charters followed the voidships as they sped away.

Helmet back on his hip, Tariq leaned back in the Command Throne of the _Astra Bellum_ in his power armour and smiled. He looked at his armour. _Bullet holes and all, you did pretty good today. Now, to make use of that overload of power._ He glanced about. The bridge was bustling with activity. Captain Jacqueveka and his daughter, the First Mate, were dressed in their green greatcoats and moving about the bridge giving orders to the numerous officers and ratings. Women were everywhere but a red-haired man in brown pants and a black shirt was sitting at the Navigator Console. _I guess Marisol is in the Runecaster_, he thought. _At least I hope she is_. Tariq continued to glance around the bridge. Molossus stood like a statue in his black armour. _Does he ever take his armour off?_ Tariq asked himself. _Probably not_, he answered. _That would make him an idiot_. His gaze locked onto Tristine's green eyes. He smiled at her. She didn't smile back. _Why so much hostility?_ Tariq gave a silent shrug and then his gaze continued around. _Raiza is with Yu by my command. She's making my Astropath catatonic by merely being near her but she's also the closest thing to a Null Bay we've got onboard the Astra Bellum. I don't want either of them dead._ He continued looking around the bridge. _No Sho? Probably talking to the Sterners via comm or with the Zundapps. Maybe she's with Mal_. Finally, his eyes rested on the platinum-haired Ysabel in her Sister of Battle power armour with her helmet mag-locked to her waist. Her deep blue eyes were looking at his waist. After glancing down, Tariq realized she was looking at the punch dagger he had on his hip. He glanced back up to find her deep blue eyes looking into his. He smiled.

Tariq's smile was interrupted by First Mate Altira's voice. "We are being hailed by _Rubik's Paradox_," she said. "It's the cruiser of Magos Explorator Veridine. He has given coordinates he wants to meet us at and is demanding we allow him to board."

"Tell him no. We don't have time for him," Tariq snapped back with a laugh. "A great rift is about to open from the Warp and we need to get out of here in a hurry."

Tariq watched as Altira spoke into the transmitter on the Communications Console. Her head popped back an instant later as a jumble of angry words came back in response. Altira looked up at him with worry.

"First Mate Altira," Tariq said. "Inform the vessels following us we are heading into the Warp so we can reach safety."

"Aye, Commander," Altira responded and then began issuing commands.

Tariq then turned to the Navigator Console. "Master Arnborn, take us into the Warp when First Mate Altira has finished contacting the ships which have chosen to join our fleet. Set a course for the Navox cluster, specifically Navox-7. I downloaded the Warp route from the archives I gathered within the York's End message datavault." Out of the corner of his eye, Tariq noticed a tiny, involuntary shift in Molossus. _Did mentioning the Navox cluster just make a space marine shift? What's that about?_

"Aye Commander," said the red-haired Navigator. He immediately began working the controls of his console.

"Might I ask how you discovered a Warp rift is about to open but the Mechanicus and Navigators did not?" a voice asked. "Or is this all a ruse to get what you wanted from York's End?"

Tariq turned his head back around to Ysabel. She wasn't smiling.

"Remember what you told me about York's End following the Terran timekeeping standard because it lacks its own star system?" Tariq asked. Ysabel did not answer him. "Mozhel has its own time standard based upon its star system but also keeps the Terran standard for official and Imperial usage." Ysabel continued to coldly star at him. "I ordered Yu to make the announcement at what York's End recorded as 992 thousandths of the year 999 of the 41st millennium. That same Terran standard time occurred ten days ago in the Mozhel system, shortly before we outran a growing rift storm." Tariq looked across the bridge at everyone staring at him. "That same storm is about to reach here according to Orlok's calculations."

"But Orlok was wrong," Altira said. "The rift didn't overtake us. It vanished."

"Did it?" Tariq asked. "He said it would overtake us. Maybe it did, but thanks to the Emperor, we were cast back in time to save who we could from York's End." Tariq finished with a smile at Ysabel. "The Emperor protects," Tariq added. _Even I'm starting to believe that_.

"Yu warned us," Molossus said. Everyone turned to the space marine. "Inquisitor Kaine and I put down the attack on the Choir Chambers of the Alamonde Platform at 992 thousandths of the year." Molossus looked straight at Tariq. "The warning she shouted across the stars earlier this day was the exact same words she said on that day before collapsing into my arms like she collapsed today." Everyone had turned from Tariq to the Molossian. "The warnings she gave today, 'The Blackness is coming' and 'Take me to the Null Bay', were what she repeated that day."

"Ten days ago, she received the warning that she issued today," Tariq said. "They say the Warp does funny things. I say the Emperor protects." Tariq smiled. _This day just became awesome_. He smiled and looked across the bridge. Everyone was silent.

"Might I also ask another question?" Ysabel asked him.

"You might," Tariq answered and then remained silent for a moment. Anger flashed in her eyes. "Go ahead."

"How did you obtain that blade you carry?" the Sister asked.

"Some crazy whore I slept with in the Mache Titan tried to kill me with it," Tariq answered.

All eyes turned to him.

"You killed her and then took it for yourself?" Ysabel asked.

"No," Tariq laughed. "I couldn't kill her. I wrapped her up in the shower curtain, locked her in the bathroom, and took all her clothes with me when I left." He laughed out loud.

"Why couldn't you kill her," Tristine asked, her green eyes locked on his.

"I just can't bring myself to kill a girl," Tariq answered with a shrug.

"You miserable piece of trash," Tristine snapped and stormed off the bridge. The blast door opened for her and snapped closed behind her again.

Ysabel stared at Tariq silently.

Molossus spoke up. "I have reconsidered my appraisal of you again, Tariq al Tiri," he said. "You are an idiot after all."

"I agree," Ysabel added.

Tariq looked at Ysabel and then Molossus and then at the rest of the bridge's occupants. "I got reasons for doing what I do. And reasons for not doing what I don't do." Tariq snapped. "I don't need to explain why I choose not to kill someone to you Mister Astartes and I don't need to explain myself to you either, Sister Ysabel." He looked about the bridge. "Fuck all you that think I do need to explain that choice to you." Tariq hopped up from the Command Throne. "Captain Jacqueveka, you have the bridge."

Tariq stormed down the back of the dais and to the blast door. He turned back around. "I'll be in my lab. Notify me when we reach Navox-7." Tariq then turned back to the blast door and passed through it. It quickly closed behind him.

**The End**

**of**

**The Emperor Protects**

**Episode 4 of the 4 part pilot mini-series to On the Edge**

**A/N This completes the four part pilot mini-series to On the Edge. In a week, I'll post a three scene epilogue to set the stage for the upcoming episodes. However, I'm getting ready to begin an indefinite period of working 12 hour days, 7 days per week. So, I'm not sure on the time frame for starting back up after the pilot epilogue.**


	22. Ch22 PMS Epilogue scene 1

?.999.M41  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Mache sector  
Galvon Interstellar Debris Field  
Luxury Quarters of the _Astra Bellum_

The Astra Bellum was an ancient vessel which had traveled the void for millennia before its Rogue Trader Commander met his end in the Occlusiad War. During its journeys before then, the vessel had even received upgrades to its passenger compartments to encourage the wealthiest elites of the Imperium to trade their wealth and journey along. However, in the millennia since the vessel's confinement into the orbital storage docks of Marcellus IV, much of the luxuriousness of the Luxury Quarters had been removed. Still the quarters were much larger than typical for a voidship and some amenities remained.

The galley was large and could easily seat three score or more men. But it contained only two men and one woman. One was Molossus, a giant of a space marine even before taking into account the bulk of his black power armour, helmet on his head as always. The other was Tariq. He had doffed his power armour and donned his blue greatcoat with the copper hound on its back. The punch dagger was on his hip as well as a laspistol and he stood with his hands behind his back. The one woman to join the men was Ysabel. She stood beside the men in her tan greatcoat, her platinum hair standing out from their dark colours. But there were over a score of girls in the galley dressed in a variety of clothing. Most were in skirts with a few in pants, all of various colours. They were all seated at the same table, eating and talking and laughing. They were Ysabel's "project" she had brought with her from York's end.

But one girl did not sit with them.

Raiza stood at attention in front of Tariq, Ysabel, and Molossus, nearly invisible beneath their towering forms. Her black hair ran down her back in a tight braid and she was dressed in the same black armoured skirt she had worn while standing guard in the Null Bay of the Alamonde Orbital Platform. Her face showed no emotion.

"Glad to see you here, Raiza," Tariq said. "Looking sharp as ever." The little girl almost cracked a smile. "I have something for you," he added. Bewilderment filled her eyes. He pulled his hands out from behind his back. In them, he held a very large doll. A doll made by Ysabel at Tariq's request. The doll was hand-fashioned with long black hair in a thick braid and was dressed in black fabric armour which looked like something men would have worn in duels on some feudal backwater planet. Black armour just like that worn by the dead Sister from the Lamonde Enclave Tariq had stepped overtop in the Null Bay.

Raiza took it in her hands and stared at it for a moment, then looked back up at Tariq. "I'm not a little girl!" she snapped at him and then threw it to the deck. Raiza turned and stormed away to the table of girls.

Tariq raised his index finger and looked to Molossus. "Don't you dare say anything to her," he said.

"She needs better discipline than to act like a little child," Molossus countered.

"She may be more than a child," Ysabel said. "But she is still a child."

"Exactly," Tariq said. "Now watch," he added as he slightly pointed to the table full of girls.

Raiza reached the table full of girls and smiled, then sat down with them. A hush came over the table where they were talking a moment before. "Come on," said a young teen girl, possibly the oldest, with a long blonde braid of har. She stood up and the others quickly followed suit. Raiza stood too. "Not you," the blonde girl told Raiza. "We have our own studies to be Sisters of the Adepta Sororitas. You are not one of us." With those words, all the girls walked away from the table while Raiza stood there. They exited through an open hatch in the back of the galley.

Raiza promptly sat down, alone, and looked at the tabletop.

Ysabel looked over to Tariq. "They don't call it the pariah gene for nothing," she said. "The genetics which make her anathema to the Warp also cause others to intuitively turn away from and revile her," the Sister added. "Even adults of strong will have difficulty with them."

"Raiza," Tariq said loudly. She didn't turn to look at him. "Wait here," he said to her. Then, to Ysabel and Molossus, he said, "Follow me. I need to talk to you two in private." Without another word, Tariq turned and passed through a swinging double door into the kitchen. Molossus and Ysabel followed him.

Ysabel spoke first. "I told you she was too old for that doll," she said. "You insulted her."

"No, she's not," Tariq insisted. "This isn't over."

"Why am I a part of this conversation?" Molossus asked flatly.

"Because you are one of the few people who can both properly understand and respect what it means to be a psychic Null as well as have the willpower to control your actions around her," Tariq answered. "That's why. She has special value to the Imperium and we need to see that put to proper use. But, she's still a human being. A little girl."

The Molossian simply stared at Tariq through his helmet.

"Now," Tariq said. "Let's walk back in there." Tariq turned and walked back through the double doors. Ysabel and Molossus followed.

The galley was empty. And there was no doll on the floor where they had stood a moment before.

"She took the doll with her," Ysabel said with surprise.

"Of course, she did," Tariq answered. "She may be nine or ten but she still wants to feel like she is a part of something. Like all kids, she wants to be held," Tariq added. "She has no one to hold her but that doll will give her something soft to hold on to." He smiled at Ysabel who just stared back at him in surprise.

"That must be why the Enclaves are so tight," Ysabel said. "Surrounding themselves with others who share the pariah gene is the only way they can get that bonding of humanity." Ysabel paused, then added, "Without that bonding, they could become people capable of terrible atrocities even if they are immune to…" She stopped short of finishing her sentence.

"Immune to what?" asked Tariq.

"You, never mind," Molossus interjected. "But you are both right. Even with our genetic alterations and our conditioning, we are still subject to spiritual corruption," he added. "We are still human. That is why we bond with our brothers. It is that attachment without which we cannot endure."

"Interesting, Molossus," Tariq said. "I thought I was showing you guys something and yet I learned something today." Tariq nodded his head at each and said, "I have much to do and need to leave. I will see you when we reach Navox-7. I really mean it this time," he added with a laugh.

After those words, Tariq turned to leave.

However, a thought burned in his mind as he passed through the hatch and began walking down the corridor. _Ysabel said the Deathwatch Chapter was composed of members from other chapters who seconded themselves to the Deathwatch Chapter but keep their chapter colours and heraldry on their armour_. _She also said the Molossus's chapter colours are not on his armour because he is a Blackshield. One who has left his chapter for some reason or other. Either he betrayed his brothers' ideals or his brothers betrayed the Imperium._ The thoughts in Tariq's head froze as he pondered this question but continued walking down the corridor. _Which is it?_ After a moment, he concluded, _I don't care. He's still a human being even if he is a killing machine. Even if he is one of the Emperor's Angels of Death_.


	23. Ch23 PMS Epilogue scene 2

?.999.M41  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Mache sector  
Galvon Interstellar Debris Field  
Barracks of the _Astra Bellum_

The giant of a man kneeled on the deck in the small cabin wearing only his smallclothes. A man that would be considered a giant even when compared to other space marines. He glanced down at the small open tube lying on the deck in front of him. Glanced down with a face that half of which was a giant scar where the flesh had been burnt away. A pink and white scar. A similar scar covered most of his left shoulder. A spider web of blue veins spread across his massive chest, the skin surrounding it bleached white. All evidence of the use of weapons no longer sanctioned by the Imperium. Rad weapons. Phosphex. And others. On his back, on either side of his spine, ran parallel trails of ports cut into his skin. Ports which led to the black carapace implanted beneath his skin and allowed his power armour to seamlessly respond to his body's movements. Scars from bullet wounds of various caliber were spread across his body.

In his hands he carefully cradled a single piece of rolled paper.

_Watch Commander Torius put this in my hands when I was told I would be presented to Inquisitor Kaine to serve him_, Molossus said to himself. He remembered the Watch Commander's exact words. _The Inquisitor asked for your service by name. I do not know how long you will be kept in his retinue, but when your service to him is completed, your next orders already await._ Molossus stared at the paper in his hands. He carefully unrolled the paper and read it as if he had not already done so countless times since the Inquisitor's death.

The words were written in an elegant High Gothic script:

_I have commanded your honourable service for many campaigns. Your prowess has been praiseworthy while your conduct and honour has been exemplary during those campaigns but we both know your service did not begin in the Deathwatch._

_A service I believe has now reached its ending, as all mortal things come to an end._

_That will leave you in an unusual situation. I will now say something I never dreamed I would say to a Brother, one of the Adeptus Astartes. No one still alive has seen and experienced what you have. For all you have endured and remained loyal, I believe you deserve something more. Your service in the Deathwatch will be completed upon finishing your assignment with Inquisitor Kaine._

_Where you go from here is up to you. Your decision._

_Your Brother in Arms,_

_Watch Commander Torius_

The space marine carefully rolled the paper back into a tight tube and held it on his knee in one hand. _What now?_ Molossus asked himself. _My service to Inquisitor Kaine ended when he died. What now?_ He thought for a moment. _I chose to ensure Astropath Yu safely made it onboard the Astra Bellum as Kaine wished, even after his death. What now?_

Memories tumbled through his mind. Frustration built within him. He pictured the Inquisitor in his mind.

_I warned you of the danger of going unarmoured and you told me to trust you, Inquisitor_, he said in his mind. _What did you mean, Kaine, when you said to me, 'So bound by your duty that you do not see what is right before your eyes'?_ A thought struck Molossus. _You had premonitions. Did you see that you were walking to your death? Is that what was right before my eyes? Did you die on purpose because doing so would serve the Emperor?_

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud knock on his cabin hatch.

With a quick snap up of his arms and back and hips, Molossus immediately rose from a kneeling posing to the balls of his feet and then stood. Noiselessly, he walked to a small stand and picked up his bolt pistol. He silently picked up the power morningstar from its stand with his other hand as he headed for the hatch. The giant stepped to the side of the hatch without making a sound.

Another knock, much louder than the previous one. Then another. And another.

"I know you are in there!" screamed a female voice he recognized. "Open up, big guy!" she added.

_Sho? What is she doing here?_ Molossus stared at the hatch for a moment. "Go away," he snapped. "I do not have time for any nonsense."

"No nonsense," Sho replied. "I am here under orders from the legendary Master and Commander himself, Tariq al Tiri."

_This can't be good_, Molossus immediately thought.

"After much thought, Tariq has decided your cabin was lacking something," Sho said. "A cabinmate," Sho added. "I am here to introduce your cabinmate to you. You have only one bed, but you can share it, or hot rack if need be."

_A cabinmate?_ Molossus said to himself, stunned. "No!" he snapped back in anger. "I remain alone. There is no other option."

"I hope you will open the door," Sho said. "It will be faster that way. Otherwise, I will be forced to hack into the programming to get this hatch open and I am good enough to do it, almost as good as Tariq is."

_Who is this cabinmate? Share my bed? Hot rack? Knowing Tariq, is he thinking to shack me up with some hussy?_ Thoughts raced through his mind. _Should I just kill Sho? Beat her senseless?_ Frustration built within Molossus, then the space marine took a deep breath and calmed down.

Molossus remained to the side of the door, morningstar in one hand and bolt pistol in the other, but raised his pistol wielding hand up and reached across to the box on the bulkhead. The seal broke and he pulled the hatch open toward him. No one was standing in front of the door or to the side but Molossus' gaze had immediately turned down.

There, with one knee on the deck and in her black leather jacket with a pack slung over her shoulder was Sho. No hussy or other cabin mate stood beside her, but in her hands, she held back a copper-coloured, short haired canine. The dog had tall ears and a long tail and it was but a puppy. A puppy that wanted into Molossus' cabin very badly. It gave a small snarl and then a high yelp as it struggled against Sho's hands.

Molossus just stared down at it.

"Go boy," Sho said and let go of the puppy.

The copper blur ran straight past Molossus and to the far side of the cabin, nose to the deck. The puppy ran a circle with its nose to the deck, then stopped and looked up at Molossus who had not moved. It gave a small and high-pitched bark. Then a second. It jumped a small bit forward, then moved back and lowered its head to the deck. The puppy caught movement out of the corner of its eye, the movement of its tail. It spun in a circle chasing its own tail. Another circle and then another circle.

Molossus just continued to stare at it.

"Its name is Achilles," Sho said and Molossus quickly swiveled his head back from the puppy to her. He hadn't even noticed her stand up. "Yu came up with that," Sho added. "I don't know where that name comes from or what it means, though."

The puppy ran up to the giant's feet and began sniffing his toes. It even licked one. Molossus looked down at it and then back at Sho.

"Achilles has already been box trained and here is its box for pooping and peeing," Sho said as she pulled the pack off her shoulder and reached it out to Molossus. "A few toys too." Not knowing what else to do, he set down his morningstar against the bulkhead took it from her hands. "There is also a feed bowl and a water bowl in there. You live right next to the Balts. Go ask them for food," she said. "Also, find me or ask any of them if you have any questions about how to raise him. Malgo is very good with canines."

Sho smiled at him. "I've got to go now," she said. "See you later. You too little fella," she said as she looked at the space marine's feet.

Molossus looked down. The once energetic puppy was curled up on his feet, eyes closed.


	24. Ch24 PMS Epilogue scene 3

?.999.M41  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Mache sector  
Mozhel system  
Navigator's Quarters of the _Astra Bellum_

On the deck sat a woman dressed in red robes. She had full, long red hair and a small amount of red scaling on her hands. A number of stones moved about her head in various orbits. Her normal eyes were closed, but she had a third eye, and it was open.

And Marisol's third eye scanned her environs.

Colours surrounded her. White points of starlight stood out from the void. Various streaks and rays of purple began and ended at various spots in the vastness. There were blue clouds of gases and red ones too. But in the back stretched the Blackness. It stretched for infinity in either direction and appeared to have no limit up or down either. Scattered throughout the vastness were other stones similar to those orbiting the woman's head. The void was immeasurably vast yet she did her best to see it all.

Marisol Arnborn opened her mouth and spoke although none were around to listen.

"The Astronomican is no more," she said. "Will it light the void again or will the Imperium Nihilus suffer an eternity of darkness, separated from the Master of Mankind's Grace?"

"Absent his Grace, I can still Navigate the void thanks to the Runecaster," Marisol said. "But the Blackness is vast, I can find no end to it. The Great Rift appears to have split the Galaxy in twain." She paused and drank in what she felt in the vastness around her. "Madness and loneliness," the Navigator said. "The loneliness grows and the Madness surrounds me. It is everywhere."

Marisol took a deep breath and closed her third eye.

"I have found the path to Navox-7," she said. "It will be a slow and dangerous trek. What madness will we find there?"

**Thus concludes the pilot mini-series to On the Edge**

**A/N** I don't have an expected date yet for the next episode. I'm currently writing a few at the same time as well as planning out a lot more. but I just started working seven twelves (12 hours per day, 7 days er week) on the back shift (1730 to 0530) for an indefinite period of time and that is hampering my available time for writing.


	25. Ch25 SE0 Series Prologue

**It was the 42****nd**** Millennium.**

The fall of the fortress world of Cadia to Abaddon the Despoiler at the climax of the 13th Black Crusade was the beginning of a great ripple effect.

The Milky Way was torn asunder. Reality ripped apart across the breadth of the galaxy. Starting at the terrible and ancient Warp rift known as the Eye of Terror over which Cadia had stood guard for millennia, the Great Rift opened and rent the Imperium in two as it spread across the void. Entire star systems and significant resources of the Imperium were devoured by its hunger. The rending of reality reached the Warp storm known as the Maelstrom near the galactic core, yet it continued. Continued until it stretched across the galaxy into the Eastern Fringe and culminated at the Hadex Anomaly, a rift in space where time itself was immeasurable. All the while, countless other Warp storms moved chaotically through the void.

And the Astronomican was extinguished.

The Emperor's light vanished from the void, leaving the Imperium's Navigators bereft of His holy light. Bereft of the beacon with which they saw through the darkness of the Warp and guided their vessels safely.

It was the Noctis Aeterna.

The lost tales of those who fought for Humanity during this era are too many to count, just as the tales of sorrow are beyond number.

But there are tales of bravery and heroism which have been passed down.

Among these are the tales of the Legendary Master and Commander of the _Astra Bellum_, the Rogue Trader Tariq al Tiri. And the tales of his heroism in the Imperium Nihilus begin shortly after the Great Rift opened.

Those tales begin with the _Astra Bellum_'s journey to Navox-7…


	26. Ch26 SE1 Big Man on Campus scene 1

001.M42  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Talone sector  
traversing through the Warp  
underdecks of the _Astra Bellum_

The _Astra Bellum_ plodded through the Warp, the slow speed being necessary to remain on the Warp route to Navox-7 through disruptions of the Immaterium without the benefit of the Astronomican. The ancient vessel had countless decks and it had set unused in an orbital shipyard for millennia before its recent resurrection.

In the underdecks…

The corridor was dimly lit by a line of hanging fixtures. Every few seconds the lights would flicker and nearly go out. On occasion, they would grow brighter. The occasional brightness would reveal that the deck was covered with a rough surface and had not been swabbed or swept in an uncountable number of years.

Gunfire erupted. Then came silence.

Malgo ran down the corridor in a blue flak coat, chain maul on his waist and an automatic shotgun in his hands. His black bald head shone with sweat each time the lights overhead flashed brighter. Trailing him were four more Balts, ebon-skinned and dressed in blue flak vests. They were armed with autoguns and chainaxes. He slowed as he approached a corner where a handful more Balts were pressed against the right bulkhead. These Balts were dressed in black synth-leather jackets and their autoguns were drawn, ready to fire.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Malgo screamed.

One of the Balts looked back over his shoulder. He was young and copper-skinned like Tariq and showed no sign he had ever needed a shave. "Trouble with Jo Jo," the kid said.

"Trouble?" Malgo snapped back at him. "Answer me, boy."

Gunfire erupted from around the corner. The front Balt quickly fired a burst back around the corner.

"When we went hunting for supplies on York's End, he found him a girl and brought her with him," the boy answered. "He brought her family onboard too cause she asked him to."

"Now there's trouble," Malgo said. "And Jo Jo can't or won't put her in her place?" Malgo asked.

Gunfire erupted from around the corner again. It bounced off the deck in front of them and off the bulkhead down the corridor to the left.

"Can't," answered the boy. "She killed him, or her brothers did."

Malgo nodded at the kid then looked ahead at the others. "Abbas," he snapped to the front Balts. "They got any helmets?"

"Not that I know of," answered the one in front who had just shot around the corner.

Malgo reached inside his flak coat and pulled out a grenade. "Flash grenade," he said. "Toss it round the corner, wait for it to go off, then we tear in after it, hot." Malgo moved up right behind Abbas and handed the grenade to him. He raised up a set of goggles to his eyes and put them on, then nodded at the lead Balt. "Close your eyes, boys."

Abbas tossed the grenade around the corner. Gunfire erupted for a moment, followed by shouts of surprise. Then an explosion with a blast of light.

Abbas and Malgo leapt around the corner.

Malgo unloaded one shot after another from his auto shotgun while Abbas did the same with his autogun. Residual smoke filled the air from the flash grenade but augmetics placed in Malgo's goggles allowed him to see in the infrared spectrum. The autogun fired faster than the automatic shotgun but there was no comparison to the damage done.

Through his augmetics, the cool smoke released from the grenade contrasted with the heat of the human bodies in the corridor. Some were crouched and some were standing but all were covering their eyes with their hands. Guns with red glowing barrels were in their hands or on the deck. The bullets from Abbas's autogun riddled their bodies in a blur of impacts. When the slugs from Malgo's shotgun impacted, they tore off parts of limbs or put holes in torsos. Blood flew through the air.

In a moment it was over.

Malgo jumped back round the corner, followed by Abbas. "Anymore anywhere else, or is this it?" Malgo asked.

"That's all of them," Abbas answered.

Malgo walked back around the corner and looked at the corpses. One blonde woman missing an arm with a half dozen bullet wounds in her torso lying in a pool of blood. Five male bodies, minus assorted limbs, were strewn across the deck in their own blood with parts of various limbs scattered too. The pools of blood began to seep together. _Two blacks with hair like mine, one blonde white, and one guy pale as a ghost with black hair. They all look her age too. _He shook his head. "Those aren't her brothers or family," Malgo snapped. "Jo Jo was a fucking idiot." He looked over his shoulder to see Abbas and the other Balts staring at him. As he did so, the Balts separated and Tariq walked through them in his power armour with his helmet mag-locked onto his hip and board-shield in his hand.

"What happened?" Tariq asked as he looked over the bodies. "I heard there was trouble and hurried on down here."

"Jo Jo snuck some girl and her family onboard from York's End," Abbas answered. "But they turned on him. He's dead now." Malgo chuckled for a moment then stifled his laugh.

"Family?" Tariq asked. "Those sure as hell aren't her brothers."

"That's what Malgo just said before you walked up," the boy said who had first spoken to Malgo.

"Well, let that be a lesson to you," Tariq said to the copper-skinned boy. "Don't sell out your friends for a piece of strange. No piece is worth that."

"Yeah, but you would since you can't kill a piece," came the response from the copper-skinned boy's mouth.

A fist caught the boy square in the mouth and dropped him as soon as the words came out. Malgo pulled his fist back, ready to swing again, but didn't. "Boy!" he shouted. "Don't ever talk to Master al Tiri that way." Malgo stood over top the boy and added, "He put food in my mouth when I was starving and he made sure every one of the Balts got fed too. His medics put us back together too." He stared hard at the boy. "Now tell him you're sorry."

The boy held his jaw, half-confused. He looked up at Malgo, then Tariq. "Sorry," he said.

A big black boot kicked him in the ribs. "Not like that!" Malgo snapped.

"I'm sorry," the boy said, almost crying. "I'm sorry Master al Tiri."

Malgo looked at Tariq and nodded to him.

"Apology accepted," Tariq answered. He reached his free hand down to help up the boy. The boy took hold of it and then Tariq lifted him straight up to his feet. The boy grabbed his ribs where Malgo kicked him and held them for a moment before standing tall. "What's your name, boy?"

"Gran," the boy said, trying to ignore the pain in his ribs and jaws. "It's Granville, but everyone calls me Gran."

"Well Gran," Tariq added. "You listen to Malgo. He's been around and knows what's going on." The boy nodded to Tariq, afraid to answer. "Do that and you might live another year or two."

The other Balts laughed.

"Come on, Mal," Tariq said to his friend as he put his arm around the big man's shoulder. "We need to talk." The two walked off together.

"What's up, boss man?" asked Malgo.

"So, how many more pieces did the boys bring with them?" Tariq asked. "How many brought families too?" he paused, giving Malgo a moment to think. "I'm not complaining, the boys will be the boys and I'll take the Balt boys at my side over anyone else any day of the week." He paused again and said, "But we might want to know. There were a thousand rebellions on Mozhel and it seems like half the new people who we brought up from there tried to take the ship."

"We put'em down though," Malgo answered.

"Yep," Tariq answered with a smile. "And there was a rebellion on York's End. We picked some people up and look what happened." He stopped walking and removed his arm from Malgo's shoulder. "Tell them I said to think long and hard before bringing anyone else onboard, unless I give the go first."

"You know the boys will still do it," Malgo answered.

"I know," Tariq answered with a laugh. "The Balts are gonna do what the Balts do. I just want to minimize some of it for a while." Then Tariq smiled. "I'll think of something. But for now, we've almost reached Navox-7. Soon we'll be on the ground of Campus."


	27. Ch27 SE1 Big Man on Campus scene 2

001.M42  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Talone sector, Navox cluster  
entering orbit over Campus, second planet in orbit around Navox-7  
Bridge of the _Astra Bellum_

The _Astra Bellum_ continued its slow journey through the warp and into what astrocartographers had named the Navox cluster before finally exiting in the outer reaches of the system dominated by the star officially named Navox-7 by the Imperium of Man. The system had been colonized by mankind long before the Imperium had been formed ten millennia prior and the only inhabited planet there had always borne the name Campus.

Tariq lounged back in the Command Throne but was not in his blue al Tiri greatcoat. Instead he wore his black leather riding jacket, open, with a simple white tee beneath. He looked about. The bridge of the _Astra Bellum_ was full of motion, officers still in their interim green colours and enlisted crew flurrying with activity as the vessel went into orbit around Campus. His gaze locked on First Mate Altira and her father, the interim Captain in his tricorn hat.

"First Mate Altira," Tariq snapped. The pale First Mate quickly turned to him as did her father. _Why do I get the idea he's looking at me as if he thinks I'm going to take his girl away from him?_ Tariq asked himself before continuing. "Now that we're in real space, we need to take a look at the vessels which have joined us from York's End." Tariq silently laughed to himself as he glanced back at the Captain. _Because he's just like me_.

"Yes, Commander," Altira responded. "I've already been looking into it." Seeing she had Tariq's attention, she continued. "In addition to the _Sterner Stronghold_ voidship, there is The _P'Body Scoop_. Apparently, it was an old refinery vessel which underwent the downgrade refurbishment into a Jericho-class transport ship where the refineries were deactivated and the piping was used for transport of air and water to the passengers. Then it was refitted again. The latter refit included a plasma scoop and a rebuild of some of the refineries to process the plasma for use by voidship drives."

Tariq nodded in appreciation. "That's good to know."

"There is the _Voidhaul_, some sort of salvage ship which has been refitted so many times I don't know what it used to be," Altira continued. Tariq shrugged in response. "And the _Void Mole_, a transport fitted for asteroid mining."

"Wow," Tariq added. "They truly are imaginative voidship namers." The First Mate just stared at him in response. "First Mate, I'll need you to individually visit each vessel and take your logistics Warrant Officers with you. See to it that we receive an accurate accounting of their crews as well as their cargoes and fuel needs."

"Aye Commander," Altira responded.

"Master of Scanners," Tariq snapped. She turned around, a blonde in green interim-officer gear. _Not too bad_, he thought. "What do we have here over Campus?"

"I'm just beginning my scans now," she answered. "Two mass conveyors are in orbit." She paused as she looked at the rest of her readings. "There seems to be a lot of activity on the surface," she added. "Maybe some large-scale battles on the surface." She paused in frustration. "I don't see any signs of orbital defence batteries but I'm not too good at this."

_Maybe?_ Tariq asked himself in his head. _You're not too good at this?_

"That's alright Master of Scanners Tomasina," Captain Jacqueveka interrupted. "This assignment was supposed to be a training exercise where you improved your skills."

Altira's gaze snapped back and forth between her father and Tomasina, her brow furrowing. The rest of the bridge became quiet.

_Ha_, Tariq laughed to himself. _She doesn't like that her Dad's banging one of the crew._ He shook his head. "First Mate, arrange contact with those vessels," Tariq snapped. "Captain Jacqueveka, I will leave you in command of the bridge to ensure we properly enter orbit and do not cross any other vessels." He turned to Tomasina. "Mistress of Scanners, hail the surface. Tell the Planetary Governor that the legendary Master and Commander of the _Astra Bellum_, the Rogue Trader Tariq al Tiri himself, is here to visit the surface." Altira's eyes flashed when the word 'Mistress' left his lips and Tariq laughed to himself again.

"Aye Commander," Tomasina answered, oblivious to the terminology Tariq used, and quickly transmitted his message to the surface, verbatim.

_Perfectly recited_, Tariq said to himself. _She'd make a better secretary than Master of Scanners_,Tariq quietly laughed._ Maybe she was Captain Jack's secretary_. He patiently waited for an answer from the surface

"Receiving transmission," Tomasina stated. "The message is from Governess Tamara Voskoff." Tomasina paused as she continued to listen in. "She says there is widespread discontent and fighting on the surface. You are welcome to meet with her but she cannot guarantee your safety while landing."

"Ahh, a Governess," Tariq said with a smile. _Boom_, he added to himself. "Tell her that I'll be delighted to meet with her. Also broadcast that we order a cease-fire while on the surface. Broadcast these words exactly. 'Any continuation of warfare while the legendary Master and Commander Tariq al Tiri travels to and from the surface, or is on the surface, will be considered an attempt on his life and proper action will be taken in response. The _Astra Bellum_'s Nova Cannon will be fired upon the surface to put an end to said warfare without hesitation."

Tariq sat quietly while Tomasina relayed the message.

"Now, let's prepare for the surface," Tariq said to the bridge. He adjusted the MIU on his arm and spoke into it. "Sho, I will need you to come to the surface of Campus with me to meet the Governess." He waited a moment and then added, "Bring Malgo too. I will also need you to bring along Sergeant Mujera and to talk the big guy into coming along. Out."


	28. Ch28 SE1 Big Man on Campus scene 3

001.M42  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Talone sector, Navox cluster  
Surface of Campus, second planet in orbit around Navox-7  
The Polisine, palace of the Planetary Governess of Campus

Shortly after the ultimatum was issued from the _Astra Bellum_, all large-scale warfare on the surface of Campus ended. A shuttle departed from the cruiser escorted by two squads of Thunderbolt heavy fighters which had been appropriated by Tariq as part of the 'payment' for his manufactoria. The shuttle and its escorts made their way down to Campus City, the capital city itself named after the planet. Finally, the shuttle landed in the small spaceport and its occupants were shuttled to the Polisine, the palace of the Planetary Governess, Tamara Voskoff. The shuttle stopped outside the raised palace which sat on a hill beside an enormous dam to a reservoir with countless guards in red and silver armour walking across its breadth. An enormous skeletal communications tower raised off the opposite hillside and rose above the dam and Polisine alike.

In the Polisine…

A group of people walked down the black marble floor of the high-ceilinged corridor. They were flanked on each side by white walls and passed wooden door after wooden door.

A single old man led the way with a power halberd on his shoulder. He was dressed in loose red pants and a long-sleeved shirt which was silver with red vertical stripes. Long white sideburns came out from underneath his red helmet on each side. _He looks too old to use that thing_, Tariq laughed as he followed the old guard in his blue and silver power armour, grav-board on his arm like a shield and helmet mag-locked to his waist. The assassin's punch dagger was on his waist too. Tariq glanced to his right. Beside him walked Sho in a long blue dress whose long sleeves covered her arms. Occasionally a black boot could be seen beneath the dress as she stepped. _She's always looking for comfort_, he laughed. Tariq took a glance over his shoulder. Behind him walked Malgo in his black flak jacket, auto shotgun slung over his shoulder and chain maul on his waist. Sergeant Tristine Mujera, immaculately dressed in her trooper blues with her long blonde hair pulled into a ponytail walked beside the big man. _Will I ever get to see her in something else?_ Tariq asked himself. _Something less_, he thought with a smile as he watched her lithe movements beneath her uniform. Next came Molossus in his black Deathwatch power armour, helmet on his head as always, with a power morningstar mag-locked to his back. _Does he ever take that helmet off?_ And trailing the Molossian was a copper-coloured canine with perky ears and a long tail.

"Achilles knows what to do," Malgo said aloud over his shoulder to Molossus. "Puppies are loud and rowdy. They need to be taught to be quiet." He turned around but kept following Sho and Tariq. "He knows you're the Alpha and you're big and quiet. He just follows suit like a good canine will."

The Molossian nodded his head in response but said nothing through his vox.

Tariq turned his head back to the front and saw they were approaching a large set of partly open wooden double doors. And standing in the opening between the doors was a woman in a long red dress that exposed cleavage held high and in place by the dress' form. A woman with a full head of white hair that flowed over her shoulders and a face that had seen younger days but still retained its beauty. _I guess it's not my lucky day after all_, Tariq thought with a sigh. He heard a noise behind him. _Did I just hear Tristine snicker?_ Tariq asked himself. He glanced over his shoulder but Tristine's face was blank.

The old man carrying the power halberd stopped in his tracks and stood at attention.

"Governess Voskoff," he said with a voice that carried through the corridor. "I present to you the legendary Master and Commander of the _Astra Bellum_, the Rogue Trader Tariq al Tiri, and his retinue."

"Splendid, Master Azakoff," the Governess said with a rich voice. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Master al Tiri," she added.

"The pleasure is mine," Tariq said as he stepped forward. He took her hand, then leaned forward and kissed it. "You have such a beautiful voice," he said. "Are you classically trained to sing?" he asked.

"Why yes, I was," she answered. The Governess beamed with delight and pulled her hand back from Tariq's grasp. "Have you found the right woman and married her yet?" asked the Governess.

"Not yet, but I'm always looking," Tariq answered with a smile.

The Governess laughed. "Forgive me for being so meddlesome," she said. "Follow me into my office. She turned quickly, her red dress ruffling in the air, and entered through the double doors.

Tariq quickly followed.

Inside was a circular room with a large black desk facing the double doors and an enormous holo-vid display behind it. An open walkway led to the desk with a half-dozen empty chairs set up on each side in a semi-circle broken by the walkway. An extra office chair was beside the desk in addition to the one behind it but none of that caught Tariq's attention.

His attention was focused upon the woman standing beside the second chair. A tall and curvy blonde in a pale blue blouse and a black knee-length skirt with light blue hose. Her mouth opened into a perfect white smile and Tariq's heart sank.

"Vanessa," the Governess said as she turned to the side as if displaying Tariq at an auction. "This is the legendary Master and Commander himself, the Rogue Trader Tariq al Tiri." Tariq smiled back at the young lady. "Tariq, this is my niece, Vanessa Voskoff, the daughter of my late brother." She looked back and forth between Tariq and her niece. "He's single. And looking!" The Governess laughed aloud at her proclamation.

"Oh Tamara," Vanessa said with a smile. "She's just trying to marry me off like a good little girl but I'm all grown up and make my own decisions."

"I see that you are," Tariq answered Vanessa with a smile and then glanced to the Governess. _This might be my lucky day after all_, he decided. He turned back to the Governess. "Lady Voskoff," he said. "You sounded as if there were important matters you wished to speak with me about and I know there are matters I wish to speak with you about."

"Please forgive me," Tamara answered. "Please be seated and we will begin." The Governess walked behind her desk and sat down with Vanessa quickly following after her and sitting too. Tariq sat down on the right side in his power armour with Sho moving to his right. Tristine and Malgo sat down on the left while Molossus remained standing.

Achilles ran straight up the middle and to the left of the desk then jumped to get up in Vanessa's lap. She was too fast though and caught his face in mid-air and pushed him back down. The puppy looked at her for a moment and then ran back to where Molossus stood.

"I'm sorry," Vanessa said aloud. "I've just never been much for canines. They're dirty and smell. And they get hairs on my clothing."

Malgo looked across at Tariq and frowned. _I know, big guy_, Tariq thought_. I don't want to marry her, just get with her_, he added in his thoughts, knowing he did not have to speak a word for his long-time friend to know what he was thinking. "That's not a problem," he said with a laugh he knew Malgo would understand. "Now, what seems to be the problem here?" Tariq asked.

"The Pink Rose," Vanessa said. "She's the problem."

"I'm sorry?" asked Tariq.

"We have a terrorist problem," the Governess said. "She calls herself the Pink Rose and has been attacking critical points with bolters and explosives." She looked back and forth at Tariq and his friends. "She has driven the populace to riot and has caused several nobles to call for my resignation…or coup. That has led to warfare across the planet." The Governess frowned. "I believe Lord Ashton Gavlin is the only one left I can trust."

"I bet he's behind the Pink Rose himself," Vanessa interrupted. "He just wants to marry you and become the Governor himself."

The Governess frowned.

"Why do you call her the Pink Rose?" Sho asked.

"She has dyed-pink hair and dresses in revealing pink clothing," answered Vanessa in disgust. "She calls herself the Pink Rose in the holo-vids that announce her attack as it happens. And she leaves a pink rose behind after every act." Vanessa frowned as she finished. "Someone needs to stop her."

"We'll do whatever we can," Tariq snapped with a smile that brought a smile to Vanessa's frowning face. He felt Sho jab his armour with her elbow.

"Easier said than done," added the Governess. "The traitor announced she would blow up the city's water supply reservoir dam outside the palace. It'll flood the streets, killing people as well as depriving them of potable water for a period of time."

"Well, don't fear Governess," Tariq answered. "I'm here now." Sho jabbed him again in the ribs of his armour. It created no pain or discomfort but got his attention. He ignored it.

"As a precaution, I've placed countless guards all over the dam," added the Governess. "I don't see how she can get to it."

At that moment, the holo-vid behind the Governess came to life.

The vision of a lady in pink appeared. A lady with long dyed-pink hair and a tight pink armoured bikini top with her breasts bulging out and a tight pink armoured bikini bottom. The Pink Rose had tight abs and long slender arms and was wearing black boots that rose over her knees. A pink mask covered her eyes and cheeks but not her nose or pink lips.

_Damn_, Tariq thought. _She's hot._ _This keeps getting better_.

A voice came from the holo-vid.

"So, this is the legendary Master and Commander himself," said a sultry voice. "How splendid. If you hurry outside now, you can witness the destruction of the dam yourself."

The figure blacked out, leaving behind the enormous image of a pink rose.

Tariq rose to his feet, then turned and dropped his grav-board. He hopped onto it and his boots instantly locked in place. The board rose off the ground. Vanessa's and the Governess' jaws dropped in shock.

"I've got a bomb to stop," Tariq said as he strapped the helmet onto his head. The grav-board turned with him on it and then flew through the doors, leaving everyone behind, even Molossus.


	29. Ch29 SE1 Big Man on Campus scene 4

001.M42  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Talone sector, Navox cluster  
Surface of Campus, second planet in orbit around Navox-7  
Campus city Reservoir and Dam, outside the Polisine, palace of the Planetary Governess

Tariq raced through the air and past guards in the marble corridor. Like a stroke of lightning he flew out the front of the palace and rose into the sky.

The white palace fell away beneath Tariq as he rose. He came to a stop and hovered in the air, then glanced toward the dam. Countless guards walked its surface. _Nothing amiss there_, he thought as he adjusted his scanners. He turned toward the reservoir behind the dam and scanned the water, its surface and depths. _Nothing there. No detonators and no subs. Where?_

Tariq's scanners detected vox transmissions and yelling beneath him. "In the sky!" screamed the transmissions. He quickly looked around for the trouble.

"Oh shit!" Tariq said aloud to himself as he realized the trouble they had noticed. Bullets flew around him. "It's not me!" he screamed into his vox. A bullet hit his suit. _Damn, that'll make a lot of sense to them since they don't know I'm the one transmitting. _A second bullet hit his armour and then a third. He quickly took evasive actions and dove behind a spire of the palace.

_What now?_ Tariq asked himself. He adjusted his scanners. _Will she come by air or ground?_ Realization dawned on him. _She planted a bomb_. Tariq readjusted his scanners and then rose above the spire. _But where?_ He looked around. A hail of bullets flew through the air around him. _Damn!_ He began to rapidly move and change direction to avoid the fire as he scanned along the dam's base.

An explosion filled the air, catching Tariq momentarily with its blast. He straightened himself up and the gunfire stopped.

The communications tower was tipping slowly. Part of its base on the side facing the dam was blown away. "Shit!" Tariq screamed, transmitting through his vox without realizing it. The skeletal comm tower was tipping toward the dam. _When that hits, bye bye dam_.

Tariq adjusted his scanners and flew straight toward the toppling tower.

Height. Mass. Composition and tensile strength of the structure. All the data was read by his scanners and fed to Tariq through his MIU. _Where do I hit it and how fast? _He quickly began the calculations in his head as he flew to the toppling tower and past it, over the water.

Tariq finished the calculations in his head as the tower broke free and fell.

Tariq's power armoured form flew at the middle of the toppling skeletal tower and into it as his arms locked in place and his legs straightened, servos locked. His body internally collided with his armour from the impact with the tower. Pain shot through his head and body. Tariq felt himself blacking out from the concussion. _Auto-landing Engaged_ appeared on his Heads Up Display. Everything went black.

Tariq snapped to. He was still standing in his power armour, held upright by its auto controls. His grav-board was located one metre in front of him. _Unconscious time- Three seconds_ read on his display. Tariq looked up to see the comm tower suspended over his head, having crashed outside the reservoir and missed the dam. Its length stretched through the air, suspended across the distance between the hill it had been mounted to and to the hill of the Polisine where its impact had smashed a portion of the palace of the Governess.

Tariq glanced down to see a giant form racing to him in black power armour. Molossus.

"I did it," Tariq mumbled. To his surprise, his vox amplified his words.

"Damn!" roared the Molossian's uncharacteristically excited voice as he closed with Tariq. "I thought I'd seen everything worth seeing in the Galaxy. Now I have!"

"You ain't seen nothing yet," Tariq answered through his vox and then undid his helmet. "I feel like shit," he said as he noticed the blood inside his helmet and felt the trickle running down his nose.

"Ha!" added Molossus as he stopped in front of Tariq. "That impact is what it's like every time to land in an Astartes drop pod. Every time!"

"That is something for me to fix in this suit," Tariq answered.

Molossus' huge gauntleted hand reached up and rubbed the top of Tariq's bald head.

"Why does everyone do that?" Tariq asked as he flinched from the pain in his head. "I'm not a dog."

"Just seemed the thing to do," Molossus answered through his vox.

Yapping assaulted Tariq's ears from his feet. He looked down to see Achilles. The puppy wagged its tail and yapped again. _That makes my head hurt._ Tariq raised his head again and looked around. Countless guards running to him from the dam, autoguns ready. Malgo closing the distance followed by Sho and Tristine. Vanessa bringing up the rear leading her aunt, the aged Governess. _My head really hurts._

"You crazy fucker!" Malgo said and slapped Tariq on top his head. He then proceeded to rub Tariq's bald head. Molossus' laughter echoed, amplified by his vox, making Tariq's head hurt more. The space marine picked up Tariq's grav-board.

Tristine and Sho arrived. Sho gave a big hug to Tariq's power armoured torso. Tristine's green eyes locked with Tariq's. "I really don't know what to say. I've never seen anything like that."

Tariq stood tall in his power armour and put an arm each around Malgo and Sho. "They don't call me the legendary Master and Commander for nothing," he said with a faint laugh that hurt his chest.

Tristine momentarily returned a beaming white smile to him then her face went blank again. _At least I broke the ice column for a second_, Tariq thought. He began walking toward the Governess and her niece, still between Malgo and Sho with an arm around each. Tristine and Molossus followed, with Achilles at the space marine's feet.

After a few steps they reached Vanessa and the Governess.

"I don't know how to repay you," the Governess said. "If the dam had been toppled, it would have been a severe blow to the city…and probably more than enough to convince all the nobles to overthrow me. No one has succeeded in stopping the Pink Rose before."

"Hopefully, stopping her will put some sense back in your nobles' heads," Tariq said. He looked over his shoulder as the space marine and Tristine approached him. "Molossus. I think someone needs to talk some sense into these planetary nobles. Do you think you could do that? I think your demeanour coupled with who you are will do wonders for their loyalty. But, it's up to you."

"Am I an ordo Hereticus Inquisitor?" Molossus asked. He stared at Tariq for a moment then answered him. "I will do it."

"Sho, see if Ysabel will go with him,' Tariq said. "Maybe being faced with both a Sister of Battle and one of the Emperor's Angels of Death will do the trick."

"Will do," Sho answered.

"Looks like you are the big man on Campus today," Vanessa said, her voice drawing Tariq back around. "You look like you might want to recuperate for a day," she added. "After that, would you and your friends agree to have dinner with me?" She finished her words with a perfect and inviting smile.

"Why yes, we would," Tariq answered without consulting Sho or Malgo or Tristine. _This day just became awesome_.

**This Concludes**

**Big Man on Campus**

**Episode 1 of the On the Edge Series**

**A/N** The second part of the two part series arc will probably be up Sunday October 13. I just have the wrap-up chapter left to write.


	30. Ch30 SE2 The Pink Rose Strikes scene 1

**A/N**: A little earlier than I planned. I hope that there are no complaints on that.

001.M42  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Talone sector, Navox cluster  
Surface of Campus, second planet in orbit around Navox-7  
Porvennus Manor

The sun was just beginning to set as the al Tiri shuttle lowered its altitude in preparation for landing. It flew over a region of rugged and wooded countryside with a river running through it, then approached an arrangement of six hills through which the river ran and then the shuttle descended further. On five of the hills were beautiful arrays of red and yellow, blue and green and what appeared to be ants moving about but on the sixth was a massive white building. As the shuttle approached and prepared to land it became apparent that terraced gardens covering the surfaces of the five hills were the colours' source and that the ants were servitors. The building on the sixth hill was a white manor house with white steps leading up to a deck with great white columns. The manor had an arched roof but there was an addition with a flat roof, a landing pad. A single blonde woman in white pants and a white blouse, Vanessa, and two black-haired men dressed in black were waiting on the pad.

The shuttle approached the manor and gently landed on the pad.

The boarding ramp opened from the back of the shuttle and released its occupants. First came Sho in black pants in her blue greatcoat with the al Tiri copper hound head on its back and beside her came Malgo in a black flak coat with his auto shotgun over his shoulder on a sling and chain maul stowed inside the coat. After a moment, came Tristine in her trooper blues and long blonde hair in a ponytail with a laspistol and sabre on her hips.

"What's keeping the legendary Master and Commander Tariq al Tiri?" asked Vanessa as she peered into the open hatch.

A streak of blue came through the air and slammed into the landing pad between Vanessa and the three who had exited the shuttle. On his left knee with his left fist in the rockrete of the rooftop landing pad was Tariq. His grav-board was floating behind him a metre above the roof top.

Tariq stood tall, then removed his helmet and fastened it to the back of his neck.

"Welcome to Porvennus Manor," Vanessa said as she furiously clapped her hands and smiled. Her two servants stood quietly by. "That entry was spectacular," she energetically added while closing the distance with Tariq and then gave a big hug to him, power armour and all.

"I'm glad you think so," Tariq said with a smile. "Maybe you would let me take you for a flight later tonight."

"Would you?" Vanessa squealed. "Please, I have entertainment already planned for after dinner, but that would be wonderful entertainment for even later."

"Oh, he'll take you for a ride as entertainment," Sho answered for Tariq. Vanessa looked back at her quizzically and Tariq frowned. Sho gave a warm smile to each.

Tristine closed the distance with Sho, then whispered in her ear. "I really dislike that woman."

Two hours later…

A tall servant in black pants and a black suit jacket led the way down the black and white checkered hall.

Following him were Tariq and his comrades. Tariq floated through the air on his grav-board in his blue power armour with punch dagger on his hip, tacking from side to side.

Behind him was Tristine. Her hair was pulled into a half-dozen tight braids which wrapped around her head, revealing her neck. She wore a purple dress without sleeves or shoulders, revealing her slender and muscular arms, and which fit tightly against her firm breasts. The dress was only as long as her knees, revealing her long slender legs and had a single split which ran up to her hip. Black stiletto heels were on her feet.

Behind her were Sho and Malgo. She was dressed in a long and flowing black sleeveless dress with a black purse on her right shoulder. The lack of sleeves revealed a full 'sleeve' of multi-coloured tattoos on each arm with each 'sleeve' topped by a hatchet tattoo. She had stubbornly refused the stiletto heels and wore her black riding boots, with a fresh polish, instead. Beside her was Malgo, dressed in all black and walking uncomfortably. He wore a new black suit jacket with a white shirt underneath and a black bow-tie. Malgo wore black suit pants too but, like Sho, that is where is noble attire ended. He too wore black leather riding boots with a fresh polish.

Tariq glanced behind him as he tacked down the hall. _Damn_, he thought as his eyes took in Tristine. "It was really nice of Vanessa to have such nice clothing awaiting everyone to wear. Of course, I had to wear my armour if I'm going to take her for a ride," Tariq said. Malgo laughed and Tristine frowned. Tariq turned his head to Tristine in response to her frown. "You should wear something besides those trooper blues more often," he said.

"I don't dress myself to suit your whims," Tristine snapped back.

Tariq sighed to himself. _Her voice sounds nice, even when she's mad_. Then he laughed. _I've got other plans for tonight though_, he told himself.

"I like you more all the time," Sho said to Tristine with a laugh. Tariq frowned. "Oh, and don't you say a thing," she added to Tariq. "You know I'll talk about you in front of you or behind your back. Doesn't make a difference to me."

"Why are you guys picking on me?" Tariq scoffed as Malgo added a laugh.

The group quieted for a moment as the servant in front turned a corner and they followed him. After they rounded the corner, Tristine spoke up first. "Sho, why do you put up with this piece of trash and willingly spread to the galaxy the foolishness that he is the 'legendary Master and Commander'?"

"Because I think everything of him," Sho answered. "He's the big brother I never had." Sho paused for a moment to see she had Tristine's full attention as they continued down the long corridor. "I was a ten-year-old orphan running the streets of Ozmand hive, stealing for a living and falling victim to one, let me say, 'predator' after another," Sho said. "I was good though and never got caught stealing," She added.

"But the Torrids caught me running." Malgo emitted a snarl at the mention of the name. "They are, or were, a gang. An enemy of the Balts. They beat me up real bad and kicked my teeth out." Sho stopped and flashed a smile ahead at Tariq as they stopped at a double door. The servant opened the door and motioned for them to wait, then walked in.

"I crawled away to where they wouldn't follow, the Balts zone, and curled up wanting to die." Sho paused, as if deep in thought, and then continued. "Tariq found me. He was probably thirteen or fourteen at the time. I just tried to curl up and away from him but he helped me to my feet anyway." She looked at Tariq for a moment who was looking through the double doors and then back at Tristine. "He had his doc put my teeth back in my mouth and fed me too. He even had his tutors teach me to read and write." Sho gave a big smile to Tristine, showing off how nice and white her teeth were. "He's always been good to me and everyone else who was around him too, like one big family."

Tristine slowly nodded at Sho.

"You may think he is trash for not killing a girl, but I owe him too much to ever be bothered by him also being nice to someone else," Sho added. "All the other nobles of Mozhel worked their people to death in their Manufactoria but Tariq always said, 'Work smarter, not harder'. His workers, many of them Balts, met their quotas without killing themselves…and the other nobles hated him for always meeting his quotas. I can't imagine what they would have thought if they knew he did it with time to spare."

"I'm a Balt," Malgo interrupted. "That's why we followed him to the stars. The Zundapps too."

"Molossus was right," Tristine added and turned her head toward Tariq. "You have your own cult of personality. Hopefully he's also right in that these guys like you too much to let you do something stupid without letting you know first."

At that moment, the double doors swung inward revealing a beauty.

Vanessa's long blonde hair fell onto her shoulders. Her breasts appeared huge beneath a tight red sweater and she was dressed in a simple knee length black skirt, white hose over legs and her feet in short-heeled black shoes.

"You look beautiful," Tariq added quickly before she could speak. _I was hoping for something a little less conservative, but I can work with this._ Her perfume smelled of flowers.

"Please enter," Vanessa said as she stepped to the side. "I wish you had worn what I chose," she said as she looked over Tariq. "But I guess you flying me to the sky looks much more likely this way." Vanessa glanced at Sho's shoulders and noticeably frowned then behind to Tristine and her smile returned.

The four walked into the room and stopped.

The room was long with red and black carpet and white walls. There was a great golden aquila painted on the far wall above an open door. In the middle sat a long black table with no chair at the near end, but two chairs on each side and a chair at the far end. Beside the table stood the silent black-haired servant who had led them to the room.

"Thomas will seat you," Vanessa said as she turned and walked around the table.

Vanessa seated herself at the far end while Thomas seated the rest. He sat Malgo on Vanessa's right and sat Tariq on her left with his grav-board propped against the side of the table. Thomas sat Sho next to Malgo and then Tristine next to Tariq. The servant quickly brought around tall glasses of wine on a tray and handed one to Vanessa who held it high, then one to each of the others.

Sho wasted no time.

She impolitely turned her glass up then put it down on the table. Malgo followed suit. Up again with her glass, and then she held it at her side for a moment, then she brought the three-quarter empty glass up to her mouth and stopped. She elbowed Malgo who had almost finished his. Sho's eyes turned to her host.

Vanessa stared coldly at Sho for a moment and then flashed her smile. "A toast to the legendary Master and Commander himself, Tariq al Tiri," she said. "May he quickly catch the Pink Rose!" She turned her drink up and everyone else did so too.

_The wine has an odd taste_, Tariq noticed. He leaned over to Tristine and whispered. "Thomas doesn't speak much does he?" Her head turned toward Tariq and her green eyes locked with his.

"I think his tongue has been cut out," Tristine said. Her green eyes flashed shock. "I know that tasssst," she said, finishing with a slur. Her green eyes rolled back in her head and her face fell onto the table.

Tariq stared at her a moment. "What?" he said aloud. _Damn, my head hurts_. He looked over to see both Malgo and Sho face down on the table too. Vanessa unceremoniously stood and walked to the open back door and stopped. "They need help," Tariq said with a forced whisper and Vanessa turned around. _I need help_, Tariq said to himself as his face fell to the table facing the open door and his eyes closed.

Tariq's eyes opened.

His entire field of sight was filled by Vanessa's face and wide smile. The smell of her flowery perfume filled his senses. _Vanessa?_ Tariq said in his thoughts, unable to speak.

Vanessa moved forward, pushing her throat almost onto his face, then whispered in his ear. "Yes lover," she whispered. "I am the Pink Rose. My aunt is too old and too conservative to rule in these troubled times. But I found an answer when the Rift filled the night sky. He spoke to me and he will speak to you too."

_Who?_ Tariq said in his head.

"The Dark Prince," Vanessa answered as if anticipating his question again. "The Perfect Prince." She moved her head back to just in front of Tariq's face, almost touching, and looked closely into Tariq's eyes. Vanessa pressed forward and her lips met Tariq's lips. Her tongue slipped between his lips for an instant, then she pulled back and whispered. "Tristine is excellent. We will share her sacrifice together and make love afterward." Vanessa raised her head, leaving Tariq to stare at the full bosom tightly stuffed into her sweater, and spoke more loudly. "Thomas, dispose of the other two after you move Tristine. They are worthless."

Everything went black.


	31. Ch31 SE2 The Pink Rose Strikes scene 2

001.M42  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Talone sector, Navox cluster  
Surface of Campus, second planet in orbit around Navox-7  
Porvennus Manor

Sho sat quietly with her face on the table and turned toward the door she had entered. Her hand still held her mostly empty wine glass. There was a faint patter of footsteps. _That's Vanessa leaving_, Sho said in her thoughts. Then, she heard a strain as if something, or someone, was being lifted. Heavy plodding followed. _That's Thomas dragging Tristine out._ Without moving her head, Sho quickly grabbed the napkin in front of her and pulled it down to her lap along with the wine glass. _Me and Mal are worthless? I'll fuck that bitch up_. Sho carefully wrapped the glass in the napkin and then pressed its edge hard against the seat. The bowl of the glass snapped off, leaving a sharp jagged edge on top the stem. Sho took the broken off bowl in her left and kept the stem in her right. _Now, wait._ _I stole on the streets for years_, Sho added to herself. _I know a setup and how to pretend I drank something._

A few moments later she heard steps entering the room from the direction the heavy plods had left. _There's Thomas_. Sho focused and kept her breathing steady.

A hand grabbed her right shoulder and a second touched her right thigh. Sho drove with her left foot and spun, bringing up her left hand with the glass bowl as she opened her eyes. It shattered on the side of Thomas' face. His hands instantly came off Sho and up to his face. Up came her right with the stem. It jammed into his neck and she pulled it back. Blood spurted out the side of Thomas' neck. He tried to cover it with his hands but couldn't stop the blood as he staggered back. Sho jumped to her feet and kicked him in the gut with her black riding boot. Thomas fell onto his back, blood still spurting from the left side of his neck and shards of glass still stuck in his face and eyes.

Sho picked up her chair and pulled back to swing. _Nope. Too much noise_, she decided and stopped. She turned to Malgo. His eyes were closed next to his empty glass. _Damn it, Mal_, Sho said to herself flustered. _Why'd you have to drink the whole thing? You're too heavy for me to lug around._ She looked across the table at Tariq in his power armour. _Uggh. He weighs more than Mal like that_. An idea struck Sho as she saw Tariq's half empty glass.

Sho ran around the table to Tariq and smacked him on the head. "Wake up, bro." she smacked him again. "Wake up."

"Uhhh," Tariq moaned. "Wut?" His eyes opened a fraction.

"Wake up, fuck head," Sho said as she snapped her fingers in front of his eyes.

"What?" Tariq said with a little gusto and raised his head. It crashed back into the table.

"Get yer ass up," Sho whispered into his ear. She grabbed the grav-board and dropped to her knees. Sho stared at the board and Tariq's mag boots for a moment and then slipped the boots into the slots on the board. She hopped back up. Tariq had raised his head.

"Tariq," she snapped. "Lock your boots."

"Lock boots," Tariq said. She heard the boots clasp in place on the board.

"Good," Sho said. "Now, float off the ground."

Tariq stared at the table a moment, then the board moved and Sho stepped back. The board kept rising with Tariq's feet but the rest of him didn't. He toppled over backward and out of the chair as the board rose to the table's height.

"Fuck," Sho said in frustration. Still attached to the hovering board, Tariq's body raised off the ground and stood itself upright and appeared steady. He glanced toward her. "You seem to have sobered up good now," she said.

He looked at her with half-closed eyes and mumbled. "Auto…funk…shuns"

Sho shook her head. "Come on, we gotta get Mal." She reached out and grabbed his arm and pulled. His floating form looked like it would be easy to move but it felt immobile.

Suddenly, Tariq sputtered forward on the board. Sho jumped out of the way and the board slowly floated over to Mal's form, face down on the table. Like a slow and awkward servitor, Tariq picked Mal up and set the big guy over his shoulder. "You go. I'll follow."

"I think I remember the way to the landing pad," Sho said.

"Tristine," Tariq said as his head snapped up. "We gotta find her."

"She'll be alright," Sho said. "Vanessa ordered Thomas to take her away but she ordered him to kill me and Mal. We gotta go."

Tariq shook his head no. "She said she's gonna sacrifice Tristine," he said. His eyes flashed. "She's the Pink Rose."

"Did you say Tristine is the Pink Rose?" Sho asked in disbelief. "I think you knocked your head too."

"No," Tariq answered. "Vanessa is."

"No fuck, really?" Sho answered with sarcasm. Sho quickly grabbed her black purse, then tore off her long dress up to her hips. "That feels better," she said and looked inside her purse. "I knew should have brought my laspistol." She reached over onto Tariq's hip and took the punch dagger in its sheath. "This'll have to do. I'm gonna cut that bitch when I find her." Tariq's half-glazed eyes stared at her. "Come on," Sho said as she turned toward the door they had entered. "We gotta find Tristine." She looked over her shoulder to see Tariq putting his helmet on.

Sho stepped outside the double doors and stopped. "Where the fuck now?" she asked the air as she looked back down the hallway. "I guess back the way we came since we are at the end." She started walking.

"Where'd ya go?" asked Tariq's vox-amplified voice from over Sho's shoulder. She glanced behind her to see Tariq leaning face first into the wall. Malgo was still tossed over Tariq's shoulder with the soles of his boots touching the wall too.

"Damn it," Sho said as she walked back to grab Tariq. Then, she saw it. An outline in the wall where Tariq was leaning face first. A hidden door. "Move," she said. Tariq slowly floated back and stood more upright. She reached into her purse. "Heh, I don't know why I brought my thermal lockpick," she said as she pulled it out and began to put it to use. "I guess old habits die hard."

Sho pushed the hidden door open, revealing steps beyond lit by a purple light.

"The Emperor Protects," said Tariq's vox-modified voice, followed by a short laugh.

Sho started down the steps. She heard a thump and glanced over her shoulder, fearing to see Mal with an arm broken on the doorway but only saw Tariq holding his hand on his helmet instead, as if he had rammed the doorframe. She turned back to the steps and started down again.

"Aaaayyiah!" came a blood curdling scream from down below. Followed by another scream. And another.

Sho picked up her pace and danced down the steps. The smell of urine filled her nose. She reached the bottom and froze.

There stood a barefoot naked man facing her, full frontal except for an open purple leather vest he wore. He held nothing save a long thin switch-like stick with a pink rose on the end which he pointed at Sho.

Shock filled the naked man's eyes.

Sho ran forward with the punch dagger held low. The man never moved. She ran the dagger straight up under his ribs and through his diaphragm. The naked man dropped the rose switch to the floor. Sho stabbed him rapid-fire in the stomach, again and again, as he slumped to the floor. Blood and guts spilled out of his abdomen and onto the floor. Sho stared at the switch. It had purple thorns, some with small drops of red. _Blood?_ _What the fuck?_ She looked beyond the corpse on the floor and froze. The room was huge and open. There were chains of various lengths hanging on the walls. On the floor in the middle of the room was a large black granite altar in the shape of a six-pointed star.

And strapped to the altar was Tristine.

Tristine's bronze body was almost naked. Her slender, muscular arms and legs were pulled tight by chains covered in purple fuzzy fabric and stretched to four of the star's points. Her head was at the fifth point, her blonde hair draped over the altar's sides with her neck held down by a fuzzy pink strap. Her firm breasts were barely covered by remnants of her purple dress, little more than two unfastened strips of fabric that ran over them and down to her pelvis. Her chest rose and fell with her short rapid breaths as she continually shivered. A trail that appeared to be pee ran from her barely covered loins to the sixth point of the star.

Sho glanced over her shoulder as Tariq floated down the stairs, with Malgo still over his shoulder. After pausing for a moment by her, Tariq slowly floated to the altar.

"Help me," Tristine moaned.

"What'd they do to you?" Sho asked. Without waiting for Tristine to answer, she spoke to Tariq. "You got a lastorch on yer suit? Cut her free?"

Tariq said nothing. A low hum started and Sho saw a torch light on Tariq's right forearm. His armoured form lowered itself over Tristine, torch ablaze.

"Is he conscious in there?" Tristine asked while staring at Tariq's power armoured form over her, then slightly turned her head to Sho. "Thomas strapped me down and then gave me a stim to counter the depressant." Tristine shivered and let out a long and low moan. Tariq froze in place. She took a deep breath. "He then gave me something to heighten my sense of touch." Tristine stopped and took a slow breath. "Everything I feel is magnified a thousand times over." Tristine glanced at the corpse. "Thomas left me with that fucker. He began tickling me with that…rose." She paused. "Scratched me with the thorns too. I passed out a couple times but woke back up each time." Tristine glanced at Tariq and grimaced.

"Tariq wouldn't leave without you," Sho told her.

Tristine's head raised slightly and her green eyes locked with Sho's eyes for a moment, then her head dropped back down. Malgo moved and then rolled off Tariq's shoulder as the power armour moved, seemingly of its own volition and pointed the lastorch at one of the chains holding Tristine's left arm.

A shadow fell on the wall in front of Sho and she turned around.


	32. Ch32 SE2 The Pink Rose Strikes scene 3

001.M42  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Talone sector, Navox cluster  
Surface of Campus, second planet in orbit around Navox-7  
Ritual Room beneath Porvennus Manor

Sho came face to face with Vanessa, the Pink Rose.

She was tall with long and full pink hair falling over her shoulders. A pink mask covered her upper face. Full pink lips. Bikini top stuffed with full breasts and bikini bottom. Both armoured and pink. Exposed ribs and lean abs in between. And black boots that reached over her knees. In her hands was a long and slender sabre.

"Well, well," Vanessa said. "Thomas should have disposed of you but it will be a pleasure to do so myself." She smiled a perfect smile. "You will know my perfection with this blade. Do you know what it is?" the Pink Rose asked Sho as she raised the sabre and glanced at its blade.

"Something I'm gonna stick up your butt when I'm done with you?" Sho snapped back.

"It is a Charnabal Sabre," Vanessa said. "The great houses of Europa on Holy Terra perfected their use and the Emperor's finest fought across the galaxy with them. The Third Legion," She said. "The Emperor's Children. Only they were worthy of the Dark Lord." Vanessa paused a moment. "My Perfect Prince."

"Well, ain't that special," Sho bandied back, trying to buy time.

Vanessa moved along the wall, pushing Sho toward the corner. Sho stepped away, toward the altar, and realized her error. _Fuck._ No longer in danger of being pinned in the corner, she was between Tariq and the Pink Rose. _If he tries to shoot her, he might hit me_, Sho realized. _Can he use his auspex to target her and miss me while he's drugged and half out?_

Vanessa laughed. "I'm two steps ahead of you, silly girl."

Sho readied in her hand the punch dagger she had taken from Tariq's hip. Its green edge seemed to give off a light of its own.

Vanessa cocked her head to the side and sarcastically said, "How cute." Then, she moved, but it wasn't a step or a swing.

The Pink Rose flowed forward like water, on the balls of her feet. One swing flowing into another. Across, then back and up. Down. Sho didn't try to deflect the sabre with the green-bladed dagger. She took a step back as Vanessa flowed forward. Another step, nearing the altar. She dove into a roll and came back up, ready. _Damn, she's good_, Sho thought. _No overreach_.

Vanessa merely turned to face her again and smiled. "I let you get away," she said. "Step for step, I can stay with you. No escape. You can never get away from me."

"Then how'd I get away that time?" Sho asked. _Come on, Tariq. Hurry up_. He had cut the chain on Tristine's left arm and was finishing the one on her left leg. Sho's eyes shifted to movement in the corner past the altar and Tariq. Mal was climbing to his feet next to a rack of chains. _Atta boy_.

"Because I let you," the Pink Rose smugly replied. "I wanted to let you know your inferiority before I killed you. In the end, after your feeble attempt, I will still sacrifice your friend, kill your lover, and spend the evening making sweet love to Tariq." Her bright smile widened. "I've always wanted to give a monologue."

A chain creaked as Malgo slowly pulled it off the rack and stood tall. Vanessa did not so much as turn a fraction in acknowledgement of the low sound.

Sho leapt forward with her punch dagger.

The Pink Rose glided a half-step back with her left foot and into a short slide. Malgo sprang forward with the chain just as she slid into place. The Pink Rose never stopped. Her weight continued to shift back and her right foot snapped up to her midsection. As it did so, her hips turned slightly to the back and her right heel kicked out, catching Malgo in the gut, as she simultaneously snapped the sabre to the back in her right hand. He doubled over from the kick and flew back, dropping the chain as he did so.

But Sho didn't stop either.

She came in low with the green-bladed dagger. Like lightning, the Pink Rose brought the sabre back over top and swiped the dagger down. But it passed right through the dagger as if it weren't there and down toward the floor. Sho's and Vanessa's eyes both widened as the sabre passed through and both sets of eyes simultaneously snapped to the green-bladed punch dagger as it continued on. Continued on into Vanessa's bare muscular abs and up into her diaphragm. Sho jumped back.

Vanessa's smile changed to a mere open mouth. Her right hand lowered and she dropped the Charnabal sabre. "How?" she mouthed. "I was perfect," she whispered as the last air left her lungs.

Sho slid forward and grabbed the long hair on the back of Vanessa's head, pulling her chin up. She ran the green-bladed dagger up through the bottom of Vanessa's jaw and into her brain.

"Perfection doesn't mean shit in a real fight," Sho said. She pulled the blade free and let go of Vanessa's hair. The pink and bloodied body dropped to the floor.


	33. Ch33 SE2 The Pink Rose Strikes scene 4

001.M42  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Talone sector, Navox cluster  
Surface of Campus, second planet in orbit around Navox-7  
The Polisine, palace of the Planetary Governess of Campus

Molossus strode into the dining hall in his armour, Ysabel at his side in her Sister of Battle wargear. Ha laughed to himself. He looked ahead to his targeted destination. The hall was quite large and had a long table covered with a red and white cloth. No one sat at the head of the table. On the left sat Malgo in his open black riding jacket with a white tee beneath. On Malgo's right sat Sho in an al Tiri blue blouse and black pants. Opposite Malgo sat Tariq, also in an open black riding jacket with a white tee beneath it. On Tariq's left sat Tristine in her trooper blues. A bountiful meal was spread before them.

Molossus measured his steps as he walked, allowing Ysabel to remain at his side, and approached the table. "The nobles have officially agreed to support Governess Voskoff's rule," Molossus said. "They have agreed in writing. The conclusion of the Pink Rose's reign of terror allowed Sister Ysabel and myself to convince them of the foolishness of their actions. Has the Governess adjusted well to the betrayal by her niece?"

"Yes," Tariq answered. "She has already made arrangements to cement a more formal alliance with Lord Ashton Gavlin," he added. "I've made arrangements for useful 'payment' too."

"Maybe the three of us can get out our bikes and ride across the country-side," Mal added, looking back and forth between Tariq and Molossus. "I've never ridden anywhere but in a hive before."

Molossus turned his helmeted head toward Mal and looked at him.

"This isn't over yet," Tariq said. Molossus and Ysabel snapped their attention back to Tariq. He glanced back at them for a moment before continuing. "There is another conspirator we haven't found yet. Did either of you get any hint that one of the nobles you spoke with might be in collusion with the Pink Rose?"

"I wouldn't trust any of them, save Lord Gavlin," Ysabel answered. "But I didn't find any evidence or have any feelings one of them was in cahoots with the Pink Rose," Ysabel added. "What did you hear, and from where?"

"Vanessa herself," Tariq added. "She called him her Perfect Prince. The Dark Lord. She also said something about the Third Legion. She was crazy."

The next instant, Molossus' bolt pistol was in his hand, pointing at Tariq's head.

"Easy big guy," Tariq said. He looked at his other friends. "No sudden movements," he said as he looked to Mal and Sho, then Tristine. He turned back to Molossus. "What's this about?"

"Inquisitor Kaine spent many years working with the Ordo Xenos of the Inquisition," Ysabel said. "But he was far more invested with his work for the Ordo Malleus and I worked with him for many years as his armed guard before moving to the Order Sabine. Before Molossus began serving under him."

"None of that means anything to me," Tariq said. "What the fuck is the Ordo Malleus?"

Ysabel turned to Molossus and he nodded.

"Many have lost their lives for hearing what you heard," Ysabel said. "Not scores, or hundreds, or even thousand. But billions."

"Well, isn't that special," Tariq snapped back. "Get on with it."

Ysabel frowned at Tariq. "There is a great primeval force in the Universe," she began. "It is known by many names. Chaos is the one most frequently used by the Inquisition. The Ruinous Powers is another name. They are evil gods who seek to rule the Galaxy and the God Emperor is their enemy. Do not ever let their actual names pass your lips. The Ordo Malleus is the branch of the Inquisition dedicated to fighting them."

Tariq stared at Ysabel. "Well, that would have been nice to know since I'm traveling the Milky Way on my own personal crusade in the Emperor's name, spreading his Word to the lost tribes of Humanity."

Molossus burst out laughing, a great deep laughter magnified by his vox. Everyone, even Ysabel, froze and their eyes turned to him. "You say the funniest things, Tariq," Molossus said. "Anyway, a little more information. The Third Legion, the Emperor's Children, betrayed the God Emperor for the Perfect Prince. The entire Horus Heresy was in the name of the Ruinous Powers," Molossus finished.

"So, Vanessa strapped me to an altar to sacrifice me to that…god?" Tristine asked.

"Altar?" asked Ysabel and Molossus simultaneously.

"Yeah," Sho answered. "Vanessa had a whole set up in the basement of Porvennus Manor. She said her Prince reached out to her when the Rift opened in the sky."

"Neither of us are Inquisitors," Ysabel said. "But I believe you and your friends are too valuable and strong-willed to just kill off."

"That's nice to know," Mal snapped, anger building in him.

"You must not speak of this to anyone," Ysabel said. "Have you told the Governess?"

"Nope," Tariq answered. "Since the Pink Rose was close to the Governess, I figured I would run what we knew about more rebels by you two before making the circle any bigger."

Molossus nodded. "Tell the Governess that you have arranged a meeting with another conspirator at Porvennus Manor," he said. "Then, we will strike it from orbit with the _Astra Bellum_'s plasma broadside." Everyone stared at him. "That should end whatever danger may remain there. We will also need to examine you four for traces of Chaos…mutations."


	34. Ch34 SE2 The Pink Rose Strikes scene 5

001.M42  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Talone sector, Navox cluster  
Surface of Campus, second planet in orbit around Navox-7  
Highway leading away from Campus City

In short time, the _Astra Bellum_ fired upon Porvennus Manor from orbit, hitting with a full broad-side from its plasma cannons. The Manor was obliterated but fires quickly spread. The voidship fired a second shot immediately after in the same location, a blast which blew out the fires started by the original broad-side. Ysabel conducted testing and concluded to her satisfaction that none of them had been tainted by Chaos. A giant statue of the legendary Master and Commander himself, a rendition of a 'flying' Tariq, was commissioned in the city. And in celebration, a ride across Campus was decided to be in order.

The terrain was flat with scattered trees and a broad, paved rockrete road cutting across it. The road itself was raised, built above the flat terrain to prevent its flooding, and ran west, away from the capital city.

And on the road, five motorbikes rode toward the setting sun.

In the middle was a great black and chrome Astartes attack bike with a sidecar. Driving it was Molossus in his black Deathwatch power armour. In the sidecar rode an angel in black power armour, the Sister of Battle herself, Ysabel. She stood behind the heavy-melta and scanned the horizon. And standing on a small box so it could look over the rail was Achilles, mouth agape, tongue hanging out in the wind, and not a care in the world because he was with his pack.

On the left was another heavy black and chrome bike, although not as heavy as the Astartes bike. Malgo drove the bike with Sho behind him holding onto his hips, both in black leather and both with black helmets.

On the right was a lighter and faster bike that was blue and chrome coloured, Tariq's racing bike. Tariq was in front with his full leather biking regalia, chaps and jacket and helmet with mirrored visor. Holding onto his hips was Tristine. She had stepped out of her trooper blues and donned black leather instead. He long hair stuffed into her helmet.

In the fore and rear were two similar motorbikes. Each was heavy and squat, and black with red flames. Kelvi led the way in his open-faced helmet with goggles while Max brought up the rear in a red helmet with twin bull horns.

_This is so…peaceful_, Molossus said to himself. He looked across at Ysabel and then down at little Achilles. Is this what Watch Commander Torius meant? Molossus asked himself. I don't deserve this.

"Hey, Mal," rang Tariq's voice in Molossus' ear over the vox. "I've decided to put my foot down. The Balts don't get to pick up any more stragglers without my explicit permission. This isn't a suggestion."

"The boys aren't going to like that," Mal answered. "I don't think they'll listen to it either."

"Well, I made a deal with the Governess," Tariq answered. "As reward, I asked her for a regiment of troops. I didn't want to make it difficult for them to meet their next tithe obligations, so I asked for her greenest and most troublesome troops."

"You what?" Sho asked over the vox.

"The Governess gave to me the Campus PDF 268th Infantry," Tariq laughed. "An all-female regiment raised on the spur of the moment from the hive gangs of Campus in response to the civil war." Tariq laughed over the vox. "They should get along real well with the Balts. And not put up with anything from them."

Malgo's deep laugh came across the vox too. "Well, this'll be interesting."

Tristine smacked Tariq on top his head.

Molossus laughed at his friends. He couldn't help himself.

"Three more things," Tariq added. "I made an agreement with the Governess to map out a succession of short jumps from Navox-7 to Navox-11 so that the Chartist Captain with his mass conveyor parked in orbit can begin have trade once again by following along with us." Tariq paused for a moment, then continued. "Second, First Mate Jacqueveka made arrangements with the second mass conveyor in orbit to join our fleet. It seems their Rogue Trader was destroyed by an ork freebooter."

_Ork Freebooter?_ Molossus said inn his head, awakened by the mention of orks.

"Their Trader's frigate was destroyed in a fight with a single freebooter," Tariq added. "I agreed to search out this freebooter and destroy him."

Molossus simply nodded his head. _No peace for me_, he told himself.

"And finally," Tariq added. "I found what I was looking for in the Campus datavaults. The answer to a question I uncovered in the datavaults of York's End." Tariq paused, then said, "The location of the Varanok Hegemony in wilderness space outside the Navox cluster."

_Emperor no_, Molossus screamed in his head. _Can I not escape my past? Why this?_

"What's that?" Sho asked through the vox.

"It was a surprisingly advanced human civilization which was discovered during the Great Crusade by the 197th Expeditionary fleet," Tariq answered. "They refused to bow to the Emperor and were destroyed in a battle that also saw serious losses to the Imperium." After giving a moment for his words to digest, Tariq continued. "By my figuring, this was roughly the same time as the start of the Horus Heresy. So, I bet there is plenty of salvage and lost technology there for the taking."

_There is no redemption_, Molossus concluded in his head.

**The End**

**of**

**The Pink Rose Strikes**

**Episode 2 of the On the Edge series**

**A/N**: I'm a little iffy on my "episode" lengths. In previous writings I did an episode as five chapters (occasionally 6) averaging 1500 words each but went a little short in these first two episodes. I'm not sure how I'll write them in the future...

**A/N**: Also, I toned down my original altar scene as I don't think it would have come anywhere near to passing as a "T" rating.


	35. Ch35 SE3 Holding Up Progress scene 1

001.M42  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Talone sector  
traversing through the Warp in Wilderness Space beyond the Navox cluster  
Barracks of the _Astra Bellum_

The _Astra Bellum_ and its fleet, joined by the mass conveyors which had been in orbit over Campus, began a series of short warp jumps en route to Navox-11 aided by the expert navigation of Marisol Arnborn and the subordinates of her Navigator clan. The voyage was painfully slow as the astrocartographers of the Arnborn clan meticulously mapped all warp phenomena associated with each "hop". After the passage of sixty-two Terran standard days, the fleet reached Navox-11 and the Chartist Captain took his leave of the fleet.

Without further ado, the _Astra Bellum_ moved into the wilderness space outside the Navox cluster. The fleet followed the leads obtained by Tariq from the Campus datavaults and began searching for the ruins of the Varanok Hegemony, a human civilization destroyed around the beginning of the Horus Heresy, ten millennia prior.

Inside a simple cabin within the Barracks of the _Astra Bellum_…

Molossus kneeled upon the deck in his small clothes, resting upon a large heavy towel, his toes dug into the deck behind him instead of curled under, always ready to snap up. Bullet scars were scattered over his body, a body which was pale except for the chest and face. A great portion of his chest was bleached dead white with a spiderweb of blue veins visible running across its surface. Nearly half his entire face was a massive pink and white scar, the legacy of a great burn he had once suffered. His scars were the tokens of a thousand battles embedded in his flesh. Many of the tokens bearing evidence of weapons other than lasgun and bolter. Tokens of ancient Rad weapons. Phosphex. Tooth and claw.

The personal trophies of battles as a Destroyer Marine.

But none of those tokens registered in the Molossian's head. He held a rod in his hand, a rod fashioned in a mold using bone paste and nutrient mesh. A fake bone. A toy for Achilles. The puppy barked at Molossus and jumped toward him, then back. In two months of time it had already grown considerably but was still but a speck when compared to the massive figure of the space marine.

Molossus tossed the rod.

Achilles turned and scurried after it. The puppy snarled and snatched the rod from the floor. It then turned and ran straight back at Molossus.

Molossus reached out and took hold of the rod as Achilles held it in front of him. But the puppy didn't let go. He snarled and pulled back. The space marine shook his hand, tossing Achilles' head from side to side as he did so. The puppy still didn't let go. _The canine wants me to throw it again_, Molossus said in his head. _Yet it refuses to give me the toy_. After some more tossing of the puppy's head, Achilles released the rod.

Molossus tossed the rod and again Achilles ran after it.

Achilles brought the rod back to Molossus and once again began the tug of war, a war Molossus was once again bound to win from the start. The space marine began to again question the puppy's motives but a new thought crept into his mind. _I cannot stop this chain of events either_, Molossus realized. _Why can I not…not throw the rod one more time?_

A squawk came from the vox box on the wall.

"Good news Molossus," came Sho's voice. The Molossian instantly released the rod and snapped to his feet. Achilles dropped the rod and prepared to run. "We have finally found the system which contained the Varanok Hegemony and are about to exit the warp just beyond the star's outer reaches."

The giant space marine's shoulders slumped, a most unnatural motion to see on one of the Emperor's Angels of Death. _Why?_ The instant concluded and Molossus stood tall.

"Tariq has requested you join the expeditions," Sho added. "He says your expertise on these matters would be appreciated. The Zundapps are jumping up and down like little children at the thought of these ruins," Sho laughed. "Magos Orlok will be coming too and bringing some automata."

"Yes, Sho," he answered. "I thank you for the heads up." His mind turned inward…and backward. _There is work to be done here_, Molossus said to himself. _Old threats to erase or put to use_.


	36. Ch36 SE3 Holding Up Progress scene 2

001.M42  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Talone sector  
Wilderness Space beyond the Navox cluster  
Varos star system containing the ancient ruins of the Varanok Hegemony  
Bridge of the _Astra Bellum_

The _Astra Bellum_ wound its way into the Varos system.

As the vessel passed an outer asteroid belt and an outer rocky planet, signs of battle were still evident after ten millennia. No sign of habitable structures remained in the asteroid belt or rocky outer planet but there were countless hot spots. Regions where, after ten thousand years, the levels of radiation were so high as to make survival in their proximity doubtful with the best of Imperial protection available. The _Astra Bellum_ went into orbit around the fourth planet from the star, the planet named Varos Prime in the Campus Datavaults.

On the bridge of the _Astra Bellum_…

Tariq looked about, a bit of pride swelling within him as he leaned forward on the Command Throne. The bridge was no longer filled with men and women dressed in green uniforms which marked them as being interim officers. Thanks to the coffers of Governor Voskoff, they were dressed in deep blue uniforms trimmed in copper, the colours of House al Tiri. _They lost a lot with the appearance of the Great Rift_, Tariq said to himself. _They had planned to return home after dropping of the Astra Bellum but the Rift swallowed up that home, Marcellus IV, as it stretched itself across the galaxy_. Tariq forced a grim smile. _But they have a duty to focus on to ensure we all survive. Ysabel has done a good job helping them manage their grief._

Tariq tallied in his head who else was on deck besides his officers. Molossus in his black Deathwatch power armour. His left shoulder pauldron bore a High Gothic numeral "I" with three cross bars covered by the skull-and-crossbones while his right shoulder pauldron was devoid of chapter markings. The vox-grille of his helmet appeared as a train plow and dominated the helmet's lower half. _A 'Blackshield'_, Tariq said to himself. _His chapter of origin is a secret. What will I have to do to wiggle that story out of him?_ He glanced past the space marine to Magos Orlok. The senile Tech-Priest had become excited at the opportunity to pilfer through the wreckage of a battle from the Great Crusade. He appeared no different than before, yet he had a helmet to strap on top his head, the only portion of his visible body with human flesh still present. _I've never seen him this excited_, Tariq laughed as he looked over the motionless Tech-Priest. _The loading logs noted he brought onboard a large number of servo-automata with no more explanation that that. Should be useful if we venture into the void._ His eyes focused on the figure of Maximilian Stein, Patriarch of the Zundapp clan. The Squat had long brown hair on top his head and, on the bottom, was a long auburn beard divided into four strands by four beard rings. Between the hair and beard were blue eyes and a big nose. But none of that grabbed Tariq's attention. _So, that's his exo-suit_, Tariq said to himself as he looked over the armour worn by the Squat. It was an massive suit of Squat-sized power armour and was covered with perhaps the heaviest ceramite plates Tariq had ever seen. _That is an ancient work of art_, he told himself. _The pride of the Zundapp clan_.

Tariq turned his focus to the 'Mistress' of Scanners, Tomasina.

"Master of Scanners," he snapped. "I need readings from the surface of Varos Prime."

"Yes Commander," replied the blonde girl in her freshly pressed suit of blue and copper.

To the bridge, Tariq added, "The Campus datavaults record that Varos Prime was, at one time, an inhabited world with a highly developed civilization but they refused to bow to the God Emperor during the Great Crusade…and suffered the consequences." Tariq stood tall on the Command Throne. "Hopefully, the surface is still mostly inhabitable. We will be able to send more people down too look around in that case." Tariq glanced back at Tomasina. She was just staring at the control panel in front of her. "Well, what is out there?" Tariq snapped.

"Nothing," Tomasina answered blankly, omitting formality. "Nothing. No life anywhere. The air is highly toxic with no available Oxygen. There is water vapour in the atmosphere but none on the surface." She continued staring at her display and working controls. "I have never seen such high concentrations of radiation everywhere. Not even in simulations," she added. "I can't find anywhere that the readings are low enough to be even remotely safe enough for a party to explore."

"Phosphex," snapped Orlok's mechanical voice. "Probably hit by multiple Phosphex warheads or torpedoes. They destroyed the atmosphere and all life on the surface." The Tech-Priest paused for a moment. "Rad weapons and Rad warheads. Rad weapons are now relegated to the special forces of the Skitarri legions operated by some forge worlds. Rad warheads are no longer in use," Orlok added.

Tariq looked squarely at Orlok. "And we used them against fellow humans," he said sadly.

"This was the work of Destroyer squads," interjected the vox-amplified voice of Molossus. "Only the space marine legions used those weapons on such a scale. During the Great Crusade the Legiones Astartes were organized differently than today. The Codex Astartes had not yet been written at that time," he added. "The Destroyer Squads were space marines specifically trained to use and outfitted with the weapons Magos Orlok described. And these weapons were forbidden to be used against humans. They were reserved for only the worst xenos and used only on planets which had already been determined to be a loss."

Tariq stared at Molossus for a moment. "So, why were they used here?" he asked. "The records indicate the Varanok Hegemony was a human civilization. What could they have done to deserve this?"

"The Great Crusade was long ago and countless unanswered questions remain," Molossus answered. "The fog of war spread across the galaxy when Horus and Mortarion and several other Primarchs betrayed the Emperor and were joined by their legions. Brothers were set against each other and worlds burned. We may never know what happened to this speck of the Galaxy ten millennia ago."

Tariq nodded at Molossus then turned to Tomasina. "Master of Scanners," he snapped. "Are there any hulks in orbit whose readings appear low enough for a boarding party?"

"Checking now, Commander," Tomasina answered. She stared at her controls for a few moments. "There is a badly damaged hulk that appears to have been a cruiser of some sort," she said. "There are some hot spots but it appears to be mostly devoid of high rad areas," she added.

"Thank you, Master of Scanners," Tariq answered. "Max, get your boys ready. We're going salvaging." Max's face lit up with a broad smile but he remained quiet. "Magos Orlok. Your automata should be useful in the high rad areas. I will meet you all at the landing bay in one Terran standard hour." Tariq turned to Molossus. "I greatly appreciate your expertise in this matter," Tariq said. "Would you join me in exploring this vessel?"

"Yes," Molossus flatly answered.


	37. Ch37 SE3 Holding Up Progress scene 3

001.M42  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Talone sector  
Wilderness Space beyond the Navox cluster  
Varos star system containing the ancient ruins of the Varanok Hegemony  
Onboard hulk of unnamed Imperial Cruiser of the 197th Expeditionary Fleet

The _Astra Bellum_ repositioned itself in orbit so that it was only a short shuttle passage away from the badly damaged cruiser hulk. Then a stellar freighter, the one which Tariq and his friends had appropriated during their escape from the Alamonde Orbital Platform, disembarked from the landing bay and docked with the cruiser's landing bay.

And a host disgorged from the freighter into the bay.

First exited a score of servo-automata. Some were bipedal and others appeared insectoid with prehensile limbs. The magnetic pods on their limbs locked to and then unlocked from the deck with each step. But they made no sounds in the vacuum which filled the landing bay. Also among their number were a trio of insectoid automata which were propelled by rockets as they floated above the deck and led the way.

Next exited two score of squats in heavily protected void suits. They were followed by Kelvi in his void suit and Max in his exo-armour. Following them was Magos Orlok. A simple red helmet adorned with various pict-corders and scanners topped his form. He had a huge hump on his back from which his innumerable mechadendrites extended and pushed through his red robes. Robes which were utterly lifeless, devoid of rustling, as he moved through the void. On each side of him strode an enormous combat automaton, each armed with a lascannon plugged into its reactor core.

After Orlok came Molossus and Tariq. Molossus strode briskly as his mag-boots attached to the deck and loosed themselves. He had done this many times before. At his side floated Tariq on his board.

Molossus looked over the bay.

It was devoid of light save for scattered beams emanating from the Squats. No air to spread the light made the contrast stark, spots of bright light and total darkness. But Molossus' auspex made out forms in the bay. There were a handful of shuttles as well as a variety of military craft and land vehicles. All were neatly arranged. There was also an open hatch on a nearby bulkhead.

"I gave Max and the Zundapps free reign to search for what they wanted," rang out Tariq's voice into the Molossian's vox-link. "They're pretty sharp and understand the dangers of radiation. Many of them manned the reactors that powered my manufactoria."

"The Squats have always been a people who were skilled technomats and enginseers," Molossus answered as he looked around and slowly followed Orlok. _And hard fighters in tight spaces_, the Molossian added in his head.

"They just left all this stuff here?" Tariq blurted out.

"Yes," Molossus answered. "The Horus Heresy spanned the Galaxy. Supply lines were cut," he added. "In a battle such as this which took place in the void as well as on the surface, there were countless casualties and destroyed vehicles. Salvage was crucial, but voidships only have so much space," Molossus pointed out. "It was inevitable that material would be left behind. Sometimes it was destroyed to prevent the enemy from salvaging it and sometimes it was left in hopes of being able to retrieve it later. This was the latter."

Tariq nodded to him.

Molossus and Tariq came to a stop. The Squats had begun to spread out among the many vehicles as had the many automata. Orlok had moved against the bulkhead and ported into it with a snake-like mechadendrite.

"There will probably be various Rhinos and Land Raiders with ancient hostile environment configurations found in the landing bay," Molossus added. "Perhaps even a Thunderhawk or two…"

"I have found this vessel's name," Orlok's voice interrupted. "This vessel is the _Twilight Strike_, part of the 197th Expeditionary Fleet and was under control of the 14th legion of space marines," he added. "The Deathguard."

"The Deathguard?" Tariq asked as his head swiveled from viewing the bay and to Molossus. "A traitor legion?"

"Yes," Molossus answered. "Traitors to the Emperor," he added and began walking toward a portal. _Destroyers of His dream_. Tariq's form appeared alongside Molossus, floating in the grav free environment. "Follow me," Molossus added. "These vessels were mass produced by the Mechanicum and follow a similar pattern to many still produced today. I believe I know where an armory may lie that will contain some weapons that I should ensure the Zundapps do not get a hold of."

"I will send a half-dozen automata with you," rang out Orlok's voice over the vox-link. "They will handle the rad fields well. I have somewhere else I wish to investigate with my remaining automata." Molossus looked over his shoulder to see several automata making their way toward him and Tariq.

Tariq and Molossus exited the landing bay, the space marine 'mag walking' and Tariq floating on his board. They were followed by the small host of automatons sent by Orlok. The corridor was mostly intact but they occasionally passed a hatch which was blown open or an ancient and wide break in the deck which continued in the darkness beyond what could be seen, perhaps even to the cold reaches of the void.

Molossus looked to his left to see Tariq stretching a narrow cable out from his suit. The free end had a connecting port attached to it. "This is a comm line," Tari said. "It will allow us to speak freely to each other without worry that the automata will record our vox transmissions for Orlok to retrieve later."

"I understand," Molossus answered. He allowed Tariq to connect the cable to the MIU port on his armour. "What do you wish to know about first?" Molossus asked.

"The Deathguard," Tariq said. "We are walking in the bowels of a vessel which was under the command of traitors to the Emperor, But not any traitors. Traitors from the Horus Heresy ten millennia ago. You said the Heresy was directly connected to the Ruinous Powers. What connection did they have here? What connection to the Deathguard?"

"I will relate to you what Inquisitor Kaine related to me," Molossus answered. "The Lord of Pestilence is possibly the oldest of all the Ruinous Powers. He is known as the father of disease and all sorts of vermin. The Lord of Pestilence," Molossus added. "Sometime during the Horus Heresy, the marines of the Deathguard were physically corrupted by his diseases but the exact date and time is unknown. The Deathguard were probably the most physically resilient of all the legions which would have given them great protection from his touch, but they were corrupt in their souls. They slid into Damnation as their bodies became hosts for plagues. In the end, they came to be known as Plague Marines," Molossus added. "They were visibly infected with disease and wholly corrupted by the Lord of Pestilence."

"Maybe we should leave right now," Tariq asserted.

"The Lord of Pestilence can hide in many places," Molossus added. "But this system has been sterilized. Plague Marines did not behave so. This wreckage and battlefront appear to have originated prior to the spread of plague amongst the Deathguard."

"Alternatively," Tariq interjected. "Maybe there were loyalists among the 14th legion who never turned traitor? Innocent of the claims thrown against them which were valid against their brothers. Maybe their souls weren't corrupt and they escaped the touch of the Lord of Pestilence?"

"No one was innocent", Molossus answered. "The galaxy was full of fools and arrogant bastards, traitor legions and loyalist legions alike. That is something you won't hear about in your schools or the Schola Progenium. After the Horus Heresy was concluded, the Imperium scoured them from existence with fire," Molossus glumly added. "But they couldn't make a fire big enough to purge them all."

"That's pleasant," Tariq answered.

The two continued on in silence while the automata followed them. The pair came to a stop at an enormous blast door at the corridor's end. There was an ancient and yet still readable sign posted on the bulkhead in High Gothic.

It read…

_Off Limits_

_Authorized Entry Only_

_Rad Weapon Containment Armory_

"Wow," Tariq added. "My scanners are detecting rad levels off the charts ahead. Is this the area you were looking for?"

"Yes," Molossus simply responded. "I will go forward alone and gather what I can." He detached the cable from the port on his armour and simply walked on down the corridor.

A single tear ran down the space marine's cheek within his helmet as he ported his MIU into the control panel of the blast door.


	38. Ch38 SE3 Holding Up Progress scene 4

M32  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Outside the Navox cluster  
Varos star system  
Surface of Varos Prime  
Mall outside the Great Library

The Front Line of the Great Crusade…

The sun shone brightly upon the Great Library of the Varanok Hegemony from a blue cloudless sky.

The structure reached more than forty stories into the air and spread out across nearly a square kilometre of land. It was not a simple block design but had various sharp outcroppings in its heights as well as a number of wings radiating from the central structure. The exterior appeared to be mostly blue panes of glass with the surrounding structure exuding various metallic colours at differing points: copper, gold, and silver.

And around the Library was the Mall, a great field of grass and flowers, trees and fountains, that was crisscrossed by paths made of natural stone. A tall and thin blonde boy walked hand in hand with a short and dark-haired girl. He was dressed in simple pants with a flowered shirt. She wore a white blouse and a short blue skirt. No weapons were visible on either as they walked past on the path. But they were merely two of many. More walked by, some singly, some in pairs, and some in groups. Some passed the same direction as the couple while others passed in the opposite direction. They were of various shades of skin colour and wore countless varieties of clothing. None appeared to be armed either. There were more scattered about the Mall. Some were even lying on the ground.

Standing alone was a figure that did not fit the rest of the scene.

The figure was a hulking giant compared to the humans walking in its vicinity. A giant dressed in Mark IV power armour and the battles the armour had seen were etched into its surface. The surface was unpainted and had a large black char across the breastplate. There were other smaller char marks scattered across the ceramite. The right vambrace, gauntlet, and shoulder plate were they only painted portions and they displayed a fresh coat which was the deep crimson colour of drying blood. The helm was a carry-over from an older model, a Mark III. It had a massive vox-grille which resembled the prow of a train. On his right hip was a Volkite Serpenta, an ancient and powerful thermal weapon in the form of a pistol. On his left hip was a power morningstar. The space marine stood motionless as he scanned across the Mall at the scattered people. He detected no danger.

The scene left him uncomfortable.

_I came down here singly to negotiate their capitulation_, the space marine thought. _Strength shown by standing alone without fear._ _But I had to bring Daniel along._

"Captain Molossus," squawked a voice of the space marine's commlink. "Where are you?"

"I am right where you left me," the space marine answered. "You should know that, Iterator Webbin."

"Ha," responded the Iterator. "I do know where you are but I am just excited and wanted you to join me for lunch with the diplomats from the Hegemony."

"No," Molossus snapped back. _What is wrong with him? Has Daniel become infatuated with a local?_ Molossus pondered. _Did they choose one specifically to seduce him?_ The space marine thought for a moment and then added, "Time is precious and you are wasting it," he angrily added. A look at his auspex frustrated Molossus. _He is broadcasting to me through their network of boosters. I have no idea where he is transmitting from._ Molossus turned around to face the Great Library and scanned the doors. As he watched for the Iterator, Molossus kept scanning those people on and crossing the Mall. Space marines who were not wary did not survive long. He did not discern any threats.

After a moment, Molossus spied Daniel exiting a nearby sets of double doors.

The Iterator was tall and pale with short black hair. He was dressed in a long-sleeved green shirt with black pants and carried no weapon. He spied Molossus and broke into a jog to close the distance. The iterator had a broad white smile on his face.

Molossus frowned in response under his helmet. "Have you made any progress?" he curtly asked the Iterator.

"Some," Daniel answered. Then, under the gaze of Molossus' helmet, the Iterator added, "But not much." But he continued to smile. "More important though, is what I've found here."

"What is that?" Molossus scoffed. "Too many to count who loaf all day?"

"Do not let arrogance blind you," Daniel snapped back. "You have seen their armed forces and stellar monitors. They are very capable," the Iterator added. "What we have found is a people who live what the Emperor has made clear His dream is," Daniel answered with excitement. "They are not, and never have been, in contact with the Mechanicum."

"And how does that make them the incarnation of the Emperor's dream for Humanity?" Molossus interrupted.

"These people held together during the Age of Strife and maintained their technology and understanding of science," he added. "They are not bound by the strictures of the Mechanicum. They do not believe in Machine spirits. They did not live in fear of the capabilities of technology while Humanity descended into anarchy and superstition across the Milky Way." The Iterator looked hard at the orb eyes of the space marine's helmet. "They are an enlightened people, devoid of superstition and fear, who are devoted to understanding existence and have begun their return to the stars."

The Molossian paused to scan the Mall. He looked at the countless people ambling without an apparent care. _Is this the Emperor's goal?_ His thoughts turned inward. _What part will I have in this galaxy_? Molossus asked himself. _Where will the 14__th__ fit in this galaxy?_ He looked down at Webbin. "Enlightened or not, they must yield to the Emperor or be destroyed."

"I know," Webbin answered with a hint of sadness. "You have walked with and spoken to the Emperor yourself. You know this is what he would want. I just need more time."

"That I cannot guarantee," Molossus answered. "I have learned to trust your judgement but my patience has limits. Progress must be made. I have wasted enough time here with you. We must leave now."

"We must return to the _Argo_," Webbin flatly stated. "You are expecting a communique from your Primarch."

"Yes," Molossus simply stated.

"You," Webbin stated with emphasis. "You are the Commander of the 197th Expeditionary Fleet. It will be your decision."

"I will have my orders soon enough," Molossus stated. "And I remind you, I am your Commander too. I allow your disregard for protocol because I value your assessments but that has limits too," he added.


	39. Ch39 SE3 Holding Up Progress scene 5

M32  
Segmentum Obscurus  
Outside the Navox cluster  
Varos star system  
In orbit over Varos Prime  
Astropathic Choir Chamber of the _Argo_, flagship of the 197th Expeditionary fleet

The Argo's Astropathic Choir Chamber was a pattern passed down from one generation of Martian tech-wrights to the next, a pattern dating back into the Dark Age of Technology. The compartment was bright, as if filled with the Emperor's holy light. It was hexagonal in shape with an arched ceiling that peaked far above. From that distant peak, six black cables stretched down to a black dais, each cable ending in a black hood fashioned to rest over the head of an Astropath. Three of the hoods hung in the air while the remaining three rested on the head of the three Astropaths standing upon the dais.

_Mortarion is right. All psykers should be destroyed_, Molossus said to himself. _But the Astropaths are a necessary evil_, he added. For a moment, Molossus contemplated the helmet he wore upon his head while standing before the Choir. The helmet which hid the scars he bore from his service to the Emperor. Scars that resulted from his use of Phosphex and Rad weapons as a Destroyer Marine. Scars resulting from weapons and tactics that even made uneasy the other space marines who also served the Emperor. Marks that set him apart from those who should be his Brothers in Arms.

He quickly returned his gaze to the Astropaths before him.

Two were male and one was female but each was dressed identically. They wore long brown robes which nearly touched the dais they stood upon. Their heads were covered by the psychic harnesses but were normally covered by the hoods of their robes. Covered to shroud the features of their faces and minimize the discomfort to the crew that depended upon them. Covered to shroud their bleached skin and white sightless eyes, the visible tells marking them as having stood before the Emperor and bared their soul before Him to be cleansed.

Molossus took note of their marks and sighed. _I am not the only whose service to Him has bereft me of the bonds of Brotherhood and human companionship._ Pride built a fire in him. _I serve the Emperor_.

The Astropaths went rigid and stood tall. "The message," the three said in unison. "It is so…strong."

_Captain Molossus!_

The voice echoed in his head. A voice full of power. The voice of Mortarion. Molossus dropped to one knee. "Yes, Primarch", he answered aloud. _Why did I do that?_ Molossus asked himself as he quickly remembered it was not a two-way communication and he was not standing before Mortarion, his Primarch.

A vision sent through the Astropaths formed in his head. Molossus was on his knee before Mortarion.

The Primarch towered over Molossus and still would have had he been standing instead of on one knee. Molossus may have been huge, even for a space marine, but Mortarion was one of the tallest Primarchs. In the fore was Silence, Mortarion's giant war scythe, a massive power weapon with a blade as long as a man was tall. Holding the scythe, and standing behind it, was Mortarion. He wore the Barbaran Plate, an ancient suit of power armour whose design had been influenced by its origin on the poisonous world where Mortarion had lived before being recovered by the Emperor. A great cloak covered his shoulder pauldrons and its hood covered his head. A great rebreather obscured his face. A rebreather which mixed fumes captured from Barbarus in with the air he breathed. Fumes leaked from the suit and visibly filled the air around the Primarch.

_I have received word that the Hegemony has neither capitulated nor fallen_, blasted Mortarion's voice into Molossus' mind. _I think you have been paying too much heed to that little Iterator again. _Anger supplied power to Mortarion's voice as it filled Molossus' mind._ But perhaps it isn't the Iterator_, Mortarion added as he regained a measure of control. _Perhaps you and the other Terran born…Dusk Raiders…under your command have gone soft._

Molossus bristled at his Primarch's words. Anger filled him…and shame for having listened to Webbin.

_Regardless_, Mortarion continued, _I demand that progress be made. He demands it_. Mortarion did not need to say who 'He' was. Molossus already knew.

'He' was the Emperor.

_You shall make an example of the Hegemony_, Mortarion continued in a matter of fact manner. _Use all elements at your disposal. Rad weapons. Phosphex. Your favourites. Turn the Destroyer Squads loose_. Mortarion paused.

_Let them destroy_.

_Ensure your squads enter combat fully equipped with pict-corders to record the action_, Mortarion continued. _Unleash their brutality. Show the galaxy what you and the other Terran born Dusk Raiders under your command are capable of. Leave no survivors. None will be needed to spread the word of failure to comply with His demands if the results have been recorded_.

_You have your orders!_ Mortarion screamed. _Carry them out and contact me immediately upon their completion for your next assignment!_

The image vanished from Molossus' head. He glanced up to the dais. The trio of Astropaths were each slumped down upon one knee. "The Warp," one said. "It is so…filthy."

Molossus barely paid attention to the Astropath's words and stood tall. Other thoughts filled his head. _Why did he make a point of calling out the origin of my squads? We were the Dusk Raiders before Mortarion took command and renamed us. Why did he call us that? _Another thought filled his head. _Daniel will not like this. _But the thought quickly passed through Molossus' head.

He had a battle to plan.

**The End**

**of**

**Holding Up Progress**

**Episode 3 of the On the Edge series**

**A/N** This is part 1 of a 2 part story arc and I hope to have part 2 up in a week or two.


End file.
